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Microfiche 

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Collection  de 
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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiquea 


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the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  beiow. 


n 
n 

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Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couteur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagee 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
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^OX 14X  18X  22X 


12X 


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Bibliothdque 

Affaires  indiennes  et  du  Nord 

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conformity  avec  ies  conditions  du  contrat  de 
flimage. 

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dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinta 
d'Impression  ou  d 'Illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  caa.  Toua  les  auiras  exemplaires 
origiriaux  sont  film^s  en  commenqant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  ampreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
emprejnte. 

Un  dee  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
demiAre  image  de  cheque  micro;ich&,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ^  signifie  'A  SUIVRE ',  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  atre 
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de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  ^  droite. 
et  da  haut  en  bes,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
damages  n^cassaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iilustrent  la  m^thoda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

1)K.    FKlDI'Jt*!'    NANSKN 


THE   "FRAM"   EXPEDITiON. 


NHNSEN 


IN  THE 


PRECEDED  BY  A  BIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  GREAT  EXPI^ORER  AND  COPIOUS 

EXTRACTS  FROM  NANSEN'S  "FIRST  CROSSING  OF  GREENLAND," 

ALSO  AN  ACCOUNT  BY  EIVIND  ASTRUP,  OF  LIFE  AMONG 

PEOPLE  NEAR  THE  POLE,  AND  HIS 

JourneJ  Eznti  RoPthEiin  Sreenland 


WITH 


Lieut.  R.  B.  F»BARY,  U.S.N. 


ARRANGED   AND   EDITED 
By  S.  L.  BERENS,  Cand,  RHil. 


FOLLOWED  BY  A   BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE   PRINCIPAL 

earlier  Hrctic  explorations 

FROM  THE  NINTH  CENTURY  TO  THE  PEARY  EXPEDITION,  INCLUDING 

THOSE  OF  CABOT,  FROBISHER,  BERING,  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN, 

KANE,  HAYES,  HALL.  NORDENSKJOLD,  NARES,  SCHWATKA, 

DeLONG,  GREELY,  AND  OTHERS. 

By  JOHN  E.  READ, 

Assistant  Editor  of  the  "Columbian  Cyclopedia." 


PROFUSELY   ILLUSTRATED. 


WAVERLY  PUBLISHING  CO., 

LAKESIDE  BUILDING. 

CHICAGO,  ILLS. 


9 1  (09/) 


i 


^(ORTM^/^f  AFFAIRS 

&  NATIUNAI  RESOURCES 

JUL  26  I960 

Northern  Affairs  Library 
OTTAWA 


Copyright,  1897,  by  A.  J.  Holman  &  Co. 


PREFACE 


Among  the  subjects  that  are  "  old  yet  ever  new,"  that  of  Arctic 
Exploration  holds  a  prominent  place.     It  interested   the   hardy 
Northmen  a  thousand  years  ago,  and  it  has  a  still  stronger  fasci- 
nation for  the  people  of  the  present  day.     It  is  natural  that  this 
should  be  the  case.     The  human  mind  is  so  constituted  that  it  is 
always  seeking  to  learn  about  things  that  lie  beyond  the  immedi- 
ate range  of  its  knowledge.     Among  intelligent  and  progressive 
people  there  is  always  a  desire  to  investigate   and   explore   the 
unknown.     This  is  followed  by  efforts  to  secure  the  knowledge 
for  Which  a  wish  has  been  formed.     In  the  case  of  Arctic  Explo- 
ration, the  desire  to  know  whether  there  were  islands  or  conti- 
nents beyond  the  narrow  range  of  their  vision  led  the  pioneers 
in  this  great  work  to  sail  upon  unknown  seas.     Probably  a  love 
of  adventure  also  urged  them  on,  but  this  could  hardly  have  been 
the  leading   motive   in   their   dangerous   voyages.     At  an  earlv 
period  in  the  history  of  such  enterprises  the  commercial   spirit 
became  a  factor,  and  in  later  days  the  love  of  scientific  investiga- 
tion was  added  to  the  other  elements  in  the  combination  of  forces 
which  led  men  to  brave  the  dangers  and  endure  the  hardships 
mseparable  from  the  work  of  Arctic  Exploration 

n^F^frlxT'^'"^''''  ^'■''''  '"P^°''"^^  ^°  ''^'^  l^is  home  is 
Dr.  Frid  jof  Nansen.  a  young   Norwegian   scientist,   who  went 

much  farther  north  than  man  had  ever  been,  farthe;  even  than 

the  companion  who  accompanied  him  to  latitude  86°  14'      In 

Europe  and  America  he  is  the  hero  rf  the  day.     His  accurate 

t'r  b  iftv  1'"'"^"^  '""^^'^'  "^"^^^^^"^  skillf  splendid  ZZ 
t  on  .  ^'  T-'^"'^''"'  '^"'■"S"'  ^"^  unconquerable  determina^ 
tion  earned  him  to  a  success  far  greater  than  any  of  his  prede- 

b  rant? V '''' '°  "I""-  ''  ''  '^"^"^  ^^^^  the'record'of  hs 
br  hant  achievements  should  be  given  to  the  public  in  a  handsome 

and  a  permanent  form.     With  this  end  in  view  the  present  book 

has  been  prepared      It  also  seemed  desirable  that  it' should  con 

tarn  a  biography  of  Dr.  Nansen  and  an  account  of  his  work,  much 

of  which  was  valuable,  previous  to  the  great  exploit  which  broTght 


I 


n 


PREFACE 


him  world-wide  fame.  Thus  the  people  could  be  brought  to 
know  the  man  as  well  as  to  learn  of  his  deeds.  In  order  to  add 
still  further  to  its  interest  and  make  it  not  only  an  entertaining 
but  also  a  permanently  valuable  book,  it  was  decided  to  add  other 
features.  The  great  journey  across  the  inland  ice  of  Greenland 
by  Lieutenant  Peary,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  and  Eivind 
Astrup,  is  fully  described,  and  a  sketch  is  given  of  the  Second 
Peary  Expedition.  The  concluding  portion  of  the  book  is  a 
connected  sketch  of  the  principal  expeditions  to  the  North  from 
tlieir  earliest  date  down  to  the  time  of  the  ones  just  described. 
Thus  the  entire  historical  period  of  Arctic  Exploration  to  the 
return  of  Nansen  and  the  Frani  in  1896  has  been  covered. 

The  materials  for  this  work  have  been  obtained  from  the  best 
sources,  and  their  arrangement  has  received  careful  attention. 
The  biography  of  Dr.  Nansen  and  a  description  of  the  planning 
and  executing  of  the  great  journey  across  Greenland  were  mainly 
written  by  two  eminent  Norwegian  scholars,  Professor  W.  C. 
Brdgger  and  Professor  Nordahl  Rolfsen,  both  intimate  friends  of 
the  great  explorer.  The  story  of  the  Crossing  of  tlie  Inland  Ice 
is  related  by  Nansen  himself,  while  several  of  the  following  chap- 
ters were  prepared  by  his  Norwegian  friends.  The  description 
of  the  Voyage  of  the  Fmm,  of  the  Great  Sledge  Expedition  and 
its  wonderful  success,  and  of  the  return  of  the  explorers,  is  given 
in  Nansen's  own  words.  Across  Northern  Greenland,  an  account 
of  the  expedition  of  Lieutenant  Peary,  is  by  Eivind  Astrup,  an 
entertaining  writer  and  famous  explorer  who  accompanied  Peary 
in  the  perilous  journey  to  the  extreme  northern  pe)rtion  of  that 
desolate  land.  In  the  preparation  of  the  hLstory  of  the  Earlier 
Arctic  Explorations  the  works  of  the  best  writers  upon  the  sub- 
ject were  consulted.  Where  discrepancies  were  found,  as  they 
were  in  several  instances,  the  evidence  was  carefully  weighed  and 
the  statements  which  seemed  to  have  the  strongest  claim  for 
accuracy  were  accepted.  Of  the  more  than  one  hundred  illustra- 
tions, many  of  them  full-page,  which  not  only  add  to  the  beauty 
of  the  book  but  greatly  increase  its  utility,  a  large  number  are 
from  photographs  taken  upon  the  spot  and  are  absolutely  perfect 
representations  of  the  scenes  which  they  place  before  the  eye. 
For  several  of  these  illustrations  we  are  under  obligations  to  Mr. 
Alfred  C.  Harmsworth,  patron  of  the  Jackson-Harmsworth  Ex- 
pedition, and  some  were  obtained  from  Nansen's  "  Pram  Over 


PREFACE 


111 


Polhavet,  published  in  Norway.  Messrs.  Houo-ht„„  «;«:„  «, 
Company  and  TI,e  Lothrop  I'ublishing  Companylinl  f^  "^hed 
several  portraits  ;  the  publishers  of  McClurr's  Magazine  Xwed 

ur.  Kobert  N.  Keely,  sumeon  to  Pearv's  Fir«t-  Pv..    iv  , 

Dr.  Gwily.  G.  Davil  .en.ber  of  ^::i:.^:l^^t^:^l 
of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  many  extremely  Sfu" 
sketches  and  photoo-rapbs  are  given.  ^    DedUtitul 

The  investigation  of  ihe   cheerless  region  of   the   North  t..= 
been  attended  by  constant  danger  and  ha:  involve     heawlos 
o   hfe  and  proper:y.     But  the  work  has  not  been  done  in ", 
xt  opened  the  way  for  the  formation  of  colonies,  for  the  drvelon 
mc..t_of  commerce,  for  extensive  and  profitable  whalland    eai 

^^""T.^'Trt'^'l'''-''''  ''''  ^°"-'^  ^f  human  know! 
ledge.     Not  only  has  there  been  an  enormous  advance  in  the  li^e 

of  geographical  n.formation,  but  much  has  been  learned  regm^^^^^^^^ 
.x^ology,  meteorology,  zoology,  and  kindred  sciences.     Wo  k  in 
th  .  dn-ect.on  has  also  made  known  to  civilized   nations  a  mo 
interestmg  race  of  people  who  not  only  live  hut  ZT 
|uHy  enjoy  life,  in  a  region  of  perpetual  Low 'a       -I^^^  ^l^: 
the  heroism,  fortitude  and  fidelity  of  the  noble  men  who  ^  th; 
immment  risk  of  their  lives,  have  gone  to  this  i  h^p  t  ble  reg  on 
ami  in  the  face  of  appalling  dangers,  and  while  endurinV  mos" 
terrible  s.iffermgs.  have  struggled  on  in   order  that  t  '^        r 
open   to  the  cv.lized  world  the  vast  domain  which  ha' 
remamed  unknown,  have  been  object  lessons  of  faith  an 

the  world.     And  as  long  as  courage  is  admired,  Z        ' 
luty  >s  respected,  and  self-sacrifice  is  revered,  so  lon:.\ 
deeds  of  the  heroes  who  have  toiled  amid  the  awful  dmrine 
anc.  desolation  of  the  Frozen  World  be  he.d  in   honored  ret 

Further  progress  in  Arctic  Exploration  will  involve  difficultv 
and  danger,  but  the  end  is  not  yet  What  has  h^.n  Z  "."."""'^^ 
will  stimniQ«-«  f^  1    rr     ^  ^^  °^^"  accomp  ishcd 

viil  stimulate  to  renewed  effort,  and  the  knowledge  that  has  been 
sained  m  the  past  will  <rreatlv  aid  in  tU^  f„, 
wnrL-      Ti,  •  T        ^         "  ^"^  ^"^"'■^  Pr'^secut  on  of  the 

^ork.     The  genius  and    energy  of  man  are   pitted   against     ho 
barriers  of  nature,  and  soon«r  or  later  nature  will  be  comTeL  to 
r  veal  her  secrets  to  his  gaze.     Those  who  are  inclined  to  doubt 
be  probability  of  carrying  further  an  investigation  of  the  Arct^ 
region  should  be  encouraged  by  the  fact  that^any  things  t.h 


IV 


PREFACE 


were  long  deemed  impossible  have  been  accomplished  and  that 
the  future  may  be  expected  to  bring  as  great  surprises  as  the  past 
has  given.  A  curious  illustration  of  the  uncertainty  u£  predic- 
tions regarding  the  success  of  Arctic  Exploration  is  found  in  the 
book  of  an  able  English  writer.  The  preface  of  this  work  was 
dated  March  25,  1850,  a  time  at  which  interest  in  the  fate  of  Sir 
John  Franklin  was  at  its  height.  The  last  words  of  the  book 
express  a  hope  that  "  England  will  be  careful  of  again  risking  the 
lives  of  her  adventurous  sons  in  further  attempts  to  discover 
what  cannot  be  looked  upon  in  any  other  light  than  that  of  a 
geographical  ignis  faiuus,  The  Northwest  Passage."  Yet  from 
documents  which  were  afterward  found  it  was  proved  that  the 
Franklin  expedition  had  discovered  this  passage  not  less  than 
three  years  before  its  non-existence  was  so  emphatically  afifirmed. 
During  the  last  half  century  great  advances  along  the  line  of 
Arctic  Exploration  have  been  made  ana  interest  has  waxed  instead 
of  waned.  Each  new  discovery  seems  to  stimulate  to  still  stronger 
endeavor,  and  public  interest  in  the  subject  was  neve  as  high  as 
it  is  at  the  present  time.  Projects  of  various  kinds  are  being 
considered  and  preparations  for  further  efforts  are  under  way. 
Which  of  the  various  plans  proposed  will  lead  to  success,  or 
whether  one  radically  different  from  any  that  have  been  sug- 
gested will  be  required,  cannot  be  afiPrmed.  But  it  is  safe  to  say 
that,  sooner  or  later,  the  great  Arctic  problem  will  be  solved. 
The  work  will  be  carried  on  until  the  region  at  the  North  that  is 
now  unknown  has  been  explored  and* a  flag  has  been  unfurled 
upon  the  precise  spot  which  geographers  designate  as  the  Pole. 


CONTENTS 


CHAFTER 

I         A                                        ^  PAGE 

.  Ancestry  —  Childhood 

II.  Youth '       '  2a 

III.  NanSEN'S      GREENLA>'ri       EXPEDITION  —  PREPARATION  — 

Plan  —  Equipment ,. 

IV.  Across  Greenland       .        .       .       .*.'.*.*.      cl 
V.   Drifting  in  the  Ice         .        .        .        .'.*.'.'      78 

VI.  An  Eskimo  Encampment  on  the  East  Coast       .        ,  86 
VL    The  Crossing  of  the  Inland   Ice  — The  First  Sight 

OF  Land  and  First  Drink  .,f  Water,        ,        .        .  ir^ 

VI 1 1.   The  Descent  to  Ameralikfjord  .        .        ..."  136 

IX.  Arrival  at  Godthaa:» '■  .    *   .  145 

X.    \ViTH  the  Current  .        .        .        .'.'.".'.'  177 

XI,   Nansen  at  Home  and  Abroad  .        .       .        ...  188 

XII.  On  Board  the  "Fram"  ,        .        ,        .*."..'  218 

NANSEN'S   STORY   AS    TOLD    BY   HIMSELF 

XIII.  Intuoduction 

XIV.  The  Voyage  of  the  "Fram"         .        .*.'."        'a?? 
XV,  The  Great  Sledge  Expedition     *.'.'.'.'       271 

XVI.   Homeward  Bound      .....  *    206 

XVII.   How  the  "Fram"  fared  — Sverdrup's  Storv   *    .    '   .    302 

PEARY'S   JOURNEY   ACROSS   NORTHERN   GREENLAND 

XVIII,  Winter  Quarters  and  Preparations          .  .        .       -j, 

XIX,  Across  the  Ice  Cap *        *       ^lo 

XX,   The  Second  Peary  Expedition     .       .  '            l^ 

XXI,   Natives  at  Smith  Sound    .        ,  '       '        tf^ 

XXII.    HUNTIIG '     ,    "     .    "  ' 

XXIII.  The  North  Greenland  Dog      .        ...  305 

XXIV.  Home  Life,  Habits  and  Character     .   *    .   *  *        "    S 
XXV.   Intelligence,  Religious  Ideas  and  Customs  .    '   .    421 

EARLIER   ARCTIC   EXPLORATIONS 

XXVI,   Pioneer  Voyages ..^ 

XXVII,   Interest  renewed        .        .  ,        .        .    '  456 

XXVIII,   Heroic  Endeavors    .       .        .       .        .   '    .   '        '       *  477 

XXIX.  Great  Disasters  .        .  1,1 

S'o 


-"-"?»>• 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


Dr.  Fridtjof  Nansen 
Hans  Nansen  . 


Frontispiece 


Baron  Christian  F.  V.  VVedel-Jarlsberg  (N'ansen's  Crandfathcr) 


Baroness  C.  F.  V.  Wedel-Jarlsberg  (Nansen's  (Irandmotl 
Fridtjof  Nansen  and  his  Father         .... 

Nansen's  Mother 

Great  Frcien  —  The  Dwtlling-house  . 
Nansen  as  a  Child  .... 

Nansen  as  a  Boy         ..... 

In  the  i'ohir  Sea 

The  Members  of  the  Greenland  Expedition 

Sverdrup  on  Guard  on  the  Ice  Floe 

Under  Sail  in  the  Moonlight — Creva.sses  ahi 

Nansen  and  Sverdrup  in  tlie  Canvas  Boat 

Nansen  at  Thirty-one  .... 

Tailpiece:  Head  of  Walrus    . 

The  Eskimo  Encampment  at  Cape  Bille   . 

Eskimo  Beauty,  from  the  East  Coast,  in  her  Old  Age 

Eskimo  Boy,  from  tiie  Camp  at  Cape  Bille 

Eskimos,  fr-^ni  the  Camp  at  Cape  Bille 

"  An  unusually  sociable  woman  " 

"  Then  the  master  came  out  of  the  ttnt" 

Canoes  among  the  Floes    .... 

First  Attempts  at  Sail-  ,g        .        .        . 

"And  there  I  lay  gazing  after  the  ship  and  its  .sail 

Sailing  on  the  Inland  Ice        .... 

.Sailing  in  Moonlight 

Coasting  down  the  Slopes      .... 
An  Awkward  Predicament 
Roughisli  Ice  . 

Rest  and  Reflection 

Into  Better  Ice  again 

Upon  the  Brow  of  an  Ice-slope  .         .        . 
The  Boat  and  its  Builder        .... 
Shooting  Gulls  from  the  Boat    . 

By  Ameralikfjord 

Bolette  —  C.reenland  Woman  of  Mixed  Rare 

Nansen  in  1.S03 

Nansen  on  the  Ice —  Summer  Dress 
Nansen  on  the  Ice  —  Winter  Dr^ss 


t  ) 


ac! 


iig  pGiie 


10 

14 

•5 
16 

17 

19 

20 
21 
32 
54 
5'> 
69 

71 
76 

85 
86 

97 
98 

lOI 

I  OS 
107 
no 

117 
119 

121 

125 

129 

137 

"39 
140 

i4r 

'43 
"45 
149 

'53 
i<'5 
•79 
181 

'83 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


vu 


10 

14 

•5 
16 

17 

19 

20 
21 

32 
54 
56 
69 

71 

76 

85 
86 

97 
98 

lOI 

105 
107 
no 

117 
119 

131 

1 25 

129 
•37 
'39 
140 
141 
•43 
MS 
149 

'S3 
1O5 

•79 
181 

•83 


Facittj^  page 
Facing  page 
•        •        • 
Facing  page 


Eva  Nansen Facing  page 

Dr.  Nanseii Facing  page 

Nansen's  Home 

Nansen's  Study  at  Godtliaab Facing  page 

The  Launch  of  the  "  Fram  " Facing  page 

Nansen  and  Mrs.  Nansen  on  Snow-shoes 

The  "  Fram  "  in  Bergen 

Lieutenant  Johansen 

Kitchen  of  the  •'  Fram  " 

Saloon  on  the  "  F"ram  " 

Nansen's  Study  on  the  "  Fram  " 

Colin  Archer,  the  Builder  of  the  "'  Fram  "' 

(From  "  Fram  Over  Polliavct.") 
The  "Fram"  Laving  Bergen,  Norway,  for  the  Arctic  Regions 

(F'om  "  Fram  Over  Polhavet.') 
Members  of  the  Norwegian  Polar  Expedition,  1893-96 

(From  "Fram  Over  Polhavet.'') 
Outline  Draught  of  the  "  Fram  "        .        .        .        . 

( From  "  Fram  Over  Polhavet.") 
The  "Fram"' in  the  Ice-pack 

(By  courtesy  of  McCliire's  Ma';azine.) 
Playing  Cards  on  Board  the  "  Fram  "... 

(From  "  Fram  Over  Polhavet.'  ) 
Crew  of  the  "  Fram  "  when  Nan.sen  and  Joliansen  left  the 

^'^'P Facing  page 

(I'roin  "  Fram  Over  Polliavet. ") 

Dr.  Nansen  and  Lieutenant  Johansen  Leaving  the  "  Fram  " 

Hunting  Walrus  on  the  East  Coast  of  Taimyr  Peninsula      Facing pa<;e 

(From  "  Fram  Over  Polhp.vet.") 
Toward  the  South  :  Nansen  and  Johan.sen  Homeward  bound, 
May  I,  1896 Facing  page 

(From  "  Fram  Over  Polliavet.'") 
Meeting  of  Dr.  Nan.sen  and  Mr.  Jackson  in  Franz  Josef  Land,  June,  1896 

(By  permission  of  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Harmsworth.) 
Dr.  Nansen  in  Franz  Josef  Land,  June  1 89') 

(By  permission  of  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Harmsworth.) 
Captain  Otto  Neumann  Sverdrup  ....         Facing pai^e 

The  "  Fram  "  in  the  Harbor  of  Cliristiania  after  her  Return     .        .        . 
Nansen's  Reception  at  Christiania,  September  9,  189'j  Facinc; pai^e 

Lieutenant  Robert  E.  Peary,  U.  S.  N.       . 
Eivind  .Xstrup  ...... 

Our  First  Bear 

ice-pack  in  Melville  Bay         .... 
The  "Kite  "at  Melville  Bay      . 
I'eary's  House  and  Tent         .... 
Iceberg  oiT  Cipe  Cleveland,  McCormick  Bay 

Separation  of  he  Floes 

Pc.iry  and  his  Companions 

The  Midnijiht  Sun 

A  Specimen  of  (ireenland  Flora 


Facing  fage 
Facing  page 


Facing  page 


188 
190 

^07 
198 
202 
211 
219 
224 
230 
233 
237 
244 

246 

249 

2  ^2 

-63 
264 

272 

274 

282 

288 

293 
297 
302 

3'4 
316 

321 
324 
324 
326 
326 

335 
33''' 
33« 
340 
340 
346 


v"i  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Musk  Ox 

The  Relief  Party  meeting  Peary  and  Astrup'     .   "     .   *     .   ' Facing p'aee  350 

Peary  and  Astrup  lioisting  Flags  on  Navy  Cliff     .        ,        .        .        .  3i;6 

Young  Eskimo  Girls  and  Native  Hut  at  Godhavn    .        .  "        '  358 

The  "Falcon"  among  Icebergs Facing  page  358 

Walrus  taking  a  Sun  Bath Facing pa^e  380 

Sea-birds ^6 

Watching  for  Seal      .        .        .....,".'.'.  L^ 

Sledge  from  Smith  Sound '.','*_- 

Eskimo  Fox-trap .'..'.*  ^7^ 

Bear  attacking  Seal '.'.'.'.'  %it 

Different  Weapons  and  Implements  .     '    .     "    .     *    .     '    .     ' Facing p'age  380 

Attacking  a  Walrus Facing p!ge  384 

A  Group  of  Seals Facing p^ge  386 

Shootmg  Seals ^''f  ^ 

Remdeer     ...  ^ 

•*■'•••.    301 
Catching  Auks  with  a  Net ^^- 

A  Favorite  Dog *   .     *  oc 

Dog  Harness  ...  „\ 

Dogs  of  N.-thern  Greenland Facing pa^e  400 

A  Group  01  I'ups    ...                 .  405 

Eskimo  Boy '.'.*.'.".'.  406 

An  Eskimo  House  in  Winter .q- 

Stone  Huts  or  Igloos  — taken  at  Midnight        .        .        .        ...  409 

Cape  York,  Smith  Sound  — Eskimo  Sleds  on  the  Ice   .        .        .    '     .    '    411 
Interior  of  Hut 

Sir  John  Franklin '     .   *      Facing  page    441 

Martin  Frobisher       ....  TT, 

Henry  Grinnell _ 

Dr.  E.  K.  Kane *        '        *        '        !s, 

'        •        '    4''3  ■ 
Dr.  Isaac  I.  Hayes .0^ 

C.  F.  Hall '        '        "        "        lot 

A.  E.  Nordenskjold *.'.'."    50? 

Lieutenant  G.  W.  De  Long,  U.  S.  N.        .        .        .".*.*..    517 

Com.  George  W.  Melville,  U.  S.  N '.'.'.'    520 

Tailpiece:  Polar  Bear .531 

MAPS 

Map  of  Greenland Facim^ page    .46 

Map  of  Projected  and  Actual   Routes  of  the  "  Fram  "  and 

Course  of  Sledge  Expedition Facing  page    266 

(By  courtesy  of  McChirc's  Magazine.) 


I 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


CHAPTER    I 

ANCESTRY CHILDHOOD 

Hans    Nansen,  Fridtjof  Nansen's  ancestor,  born   No- 
vember  28,  1598,  in   Flensburg,  had  as  a  sixteen  years 
old  lad  gone  to  the  White  Sea  in  his  uncle's  ship  -  in 
those  days  quite  an  adventurous  enterprise.      They  had 
jDractically  no  charts,   they  were   scantily  supplied  with 
instruments,  and  they  had  to  keep  cannon  and  cutlasses 
in  readiness.     In  the  course  of  the  voyage,  indeed,  they 
had  been  twice  overhauled  and  plundered   by  the  Eng- 
hsh.     Now  they  were  fast  in   the  ice  at  Kola.     But  the 
intelhgent  boy,  eager  for  knowledge,  did  not  permit  him- 
self to  be  depressed.     He  employed  the  time  in  learning 
Russian,  and   in   the  summer,  when   the   uncle  bent  his 
course  southward  again,  his  nephew  did  not  accompany 
him.     He  preferred  to  stay  behind  and  learn  more.     He 
travelled    alone   "through   several  districts  of    Russia  to 
the  town  of  Kuwantz."     From  Kuwantz  he  took  ship  in 
September  for  Copenhagen. 

His  character  came  early  to  maturity,  and  his  powers 
could  not  brook  inaction.  He  had  not  completed  his 
twenty-first  year  when  King  Christian  IV.  placed  him  at 
the  head  of  an  expedition  to  the  rich  fur  regions  about 


10 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


the  Petschora.  But  the  ice  was  too  much  for  hnn.  He 
had  to  make  up  his  mind  to  winter  at  Kola.  Here  he 
received  a  commission  from  the  Czar  of  Russia,  and 
undertook,  by  imperial  order,  an  exploration  of  the  coast 


HANS    NANSEN 


ot  the  White  Sea.     Not  until  he  reached  Archangel  did 
he  rejoin  his  ship. 

After  that  he  held  a  command  for  eighteen  seasons  in 
the  service  of  the  Iceland  Company.  He  was  by  nature  a 
keen  observer  and  a  born  leader  of  men,  full  of  alert  prac- 
ticality, and  yet  with  a  strong  literary  bent.  And  he  was 
eminently  disposed  to  share  with  others  the  fruits  of  his 


NANSEN^S  ANCESTRY  AND   CHILDHOOD 


II 


reading.     "  When   I  had  nothing  else  to  do,"  he  writes, 
"  I  copied  out  extracts  from  the  Bible,  and  from  various' 
cosmographical  and   geographical  works,  to  serve  as  an 
index  and   commonplace-book  for  future   reference. 
And  when,  a  little  while  ago,  I  read  it  through  again,'  I 
thought  that  perhaps  there  might  be  others  who  would 
be  glad   to  know  these  things,  but  who,  on  account  of 
other   occupations  and   so   forth,   had   neither  time   nor 
opportunity  to   study   the  great  works  on   cosmography. 
For  the    benefit  of   such   persons   I    have  given   to  the 
press  this  brief  digest."      The  title  ran :  "  Compendium 
Cosmographicum ;   being  a  short  description  of  the  en- 
tire earth,  etc.     Treating,  furthermore,  of  the  sea  and  of 
navigation,   with    certain    serviceable    directions    thereto 
appertaining." 

The  "  Compendium  Cosmographicum  "  became  a  pop- 
ular handbook,  so  much  read  by  seafaring  men  and 
others,  that  four  editions  were  exhausted  in  the  author's 
lifetime.  Indeed,  we  gather  that  up  to  a  few  years  ago  it 
had  not  quite  gone  out  of  use.  The  copy  now  in  the 
possession  of  the  Nansen  family  came,  according  to  a 
well-authenticated  tradition,  direct  from  a  skipper  who 
sailed  by  it.  Inside  the  old  cover,  the  late  owner  of  the 
book  has  inscribed  the  following  testimonial:  — 

"  Tins   book   is  of  great  use  to  seafaring  folk.     OCe 
Borgersen  A  as,  1841." 

Thus  the  handbook  of  the  gallant  old  Arctic  skipper 
may  be  said  to  have  done  service  down  to  the  very  thresh- 
old of  the  time  when  his  descendant  was  j^reparing  to 
add  new  "courses"  to  those  he  had  so  diligently  laid 
down  —  "  courses  "  across  Greenland  and  to  \he  North 
Pole. 


12 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


At  the  age  of  forty,  Hans  Nansen  begins  to  rise  in  the 
world ;  and  soon  he  exchanges  the  command  of  a  ship's 
crew  for  that  of  the  burghers  of  Copenhagen.  He  first 
became  town  councillor,  then  one  of  the  four  burgo- 
masters, and  in  1654  he  held  the  chief  place  among  the 
four.  Shrewd,  ready-witted,  eloquent,  accustomed  to 
command,  and  endowed  with  a  firm  will  and  invincible 
energy,  he  seemed  specially  created  to  take  part,  and  a 
leading  part,  in  the  critical  times  v/hich  followed. 

In   1058  the  Swedish  king,  Karl  Gustav,  declared  war 
and  invaded   Zealand.     The   Estates  met  at  the  Palace, 
the  royal  message  was  read,  and  the  king  addressed  them 
in  person.     It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Hans  Nansen  to  answer 
that  the   burghers  "would  stand    by  the  king   through 
thick  and   thin,"  and  the  populace  behind   him  shouted 
their  assent.     Not  only  was  the  integrity  of  their  native 
land   at   stake,  but   civic   freedom  and   independence  as 
well.     On   the  following  day,  the  loth  of  August   1658, 
the   Privy  Council  was  obliged   to  issue  a  proclamation 
"  which  was  as  good  as  a  patent  of  nobility  to  all  the  mer- 
chants and  handicraftsmen  of  Copenhagen."    Karl  Gustav 
understood   its  significance.     "Since  the  burghers   have 
obtained  such  privileges,"  he  exclaimed,  "  no  doubt  they  '11 
stand  a  tussle."     And  during  this  "tussle"  the  leading 
burgomaster  of  Copenhagen  had  no  peace  either  by  day 
or   night.     Earthworks   had    to   be   constructed,   ditches 
filled,  provisions  laid  in,  soldiers  quartered,  the  burghers 
drilled  and  commanded,  and  public  order  preserved  in  the 
midst  of  a  concourse  of  people  crowding  into  the  city 
from  every  side.     "  We  find  him  now  at  home,  opening 
his  plate  chest  and  his  money-box,  placing  great  sums  at 
the  king's  disposal,  lending  him  his  carriage  and  horses, 


liANSEN'S  ANCESTRY  AND   CHILDHOOD  13 

and  all  the  time  doing  his  best  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of 
his  own  family;  now  in  the  Town  Hall  sitting  in  council 
or  on  the  bench;  now  in  the  Chamber,  now  with  the 
kmg;  then  again  at  a  regimental  inspection,  or  on  the 
fire-watch  tower,  or  at  the  outworks,  with  the  bullets 
pickmg  men  off  on  every  side ;  now  listening  to  the  ser- 
mons which  were  preached  on  the  ramparts,  now  ^oino- 
the  rounds  with  the  night  patrol."  And  when  it  comes 
to  meeting  the  enemy  outside  the  fortifications,  the  inde- 
fatigable burgomaster  is  still  in  the  van. 

It  is  certain  that  there  are  remarkable  points  of  simi- 
larity between  the  old  burgomaster  and  his  grandson's 
grandson  s  grandson. 

It  would  seem  as  though  Fridtjof  Nansen  himself  were 
conscious  of  this  hereditary  strain  in  his  character.  In 
one  of  hjs  letters  to  his  father,  he  speaks  of  the  Nansen 
pride,  which  in  his  case,  when  occasion  demands,  takes 
the  form  of  an  adamantine  stubbornness 
_  But  this  pride  does  not  descend  to  him  on  the  male 

Count  Herman  Wedel-Jarlsberg,  the  famous  political 
leader  o  1814,  afterwards  Viceroy  (Statholder)  of  Nor- 
way,  had  a  younger  brother.  Baron  Christian  Frederik 
Vilhelm  of  Fornebo,  whose  daughter  was  the  mother  01 
Hidtjof  Nansen.  Thus,  if  pride  and  spirit  of  adventure 
may  be  said  to  lie  at  the  root  of  the  father's  family-tree 

quIlLs''"'''  '^  ''''  "'''^''''  ^''''  ''^^'"^^  "^  '"^'^^^^ 

A  few  words  more  about  the  Nansen  family.     Hans 

Nansen  Municipal  President,  Privy  Councillor,  and  Judge 

of  the  Supreme  Court,  died  at  Copenhagen,  Novemher  12, 


14 


HANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


1667.  A  daughter  of  his  eldest  son,  Michael  Nansen,  was 
married  to  the  celebrated  Peter  Griffenfeld.  A  younger 
son,  Hans  Nansen,  was  Municipal  President  of  Copen- 
hagen at  the  time  of  his  death  in  171S.  His  grandson 
was  Ancher  Anthony  Nansen,  with  whom  the  male  line 


BARON   CHRISTIAN    K.    V.    WEDEL-JARLSBERG   (nANSEN's   GRANDFATHER) 


removed  to  Norway.  In  1761  he  became  district  magis- 
trate of  Outer  Sogn,  and  there  married  a  lady  of  the 
name  of  Leierdahl,  a  member  of  the  Geelmuyden  familv. 
His  only  son  was  called  Hans  Leierdahl  Nansen,  who  in 


NANSEN'S  ANCESTRY  AND   CHILDHOOD 


»5 


September,  1809.  became  judge  in  Guldalen.and  later  rep- 
resentative for  Stavanger  district  in  Storthinget.  He  was 
divorced  from  his  first  wife  and  married  again,  1810  a 
daughter  of  court-printer  Moller  of  Copenhagen  Th'ey 
were  Fridtjof  Nansen's  grandfather  and  grandmother 


BARONESS  C.    F.    V.    WKDEL-JARLsnERO    (NANSEN's   GRANDMOTHER) 

Fridtjof s  father,  Baldur  Fridtjof  Nansen,  was  born  in 
f'gersund  in  181 7.  After  the  death  of  his  father  in  the 
twenties,  Baldur  Nansen's  mother  removed  from  Eo-ersund 
to  Stavanger,  for  tlie  sake  of  her  son's  educationr    Here 


i6 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


she  lived  till  1835,  when  he  matriculated  at  the  University 

of  Christiania. 

"  He  was  industrious,"  says  an  intimate  friend  of  the 

Nansen  family  in  a 
letter,  "  well  -  behaved 
and  exemplary  in 
every  respect.  His 
abilities  were  not  bril- 
liant, but,  being  strict- 
ly and  plainly  brought 
up,  and  stimulated  by 
the  influence  of  his 
clever  mother,  he 
passed  all  his  exami- 
nations with  a  certain 
distinction,  and  be- 
came an  accomplished 
jurist.  He  had  none 
of  his  parents'  wit  and 

FRIDTJOF    NANSEN    AND   HIS    FATHER  faUCy  \         but         hC       WaS 

noted  for  his  thor- 
oughly refined,  amiable,  and  courteous  manners  and  dis- 
position." 

He  became  Reporter  to  the  Supreme  Court;  but  he 
was  principally  employed  in  finance  and  conveyancing. 
He  enjoyed  unbounded  confidence. 

Baldur  Nansen's  first  wife  was  the  daughter  of  Major- 
General  Sorensen,  and  sister  to  the  wife  of  the  poet  Jorgen 
Moe.  His  second  wife  (Fridtjof's  mother)  was  Adelaide 
Johanna  Isidora,  nee  Wedel-Jarlsberg,  who  also  had  been 
married  before.  Mrs.  Adelaide  Nansen  is  described  as  a 
tall  and  stately  lady,  capable  and  resolute,  even-tempered 


# 
It 


■^ 


NANSEN'S  ANCESTRY  AND    CHILDHOOD  17 

and  Straightforward,  without  any  pretension  on  the  score 
of  birth  and  ancestry.  She  had  a  masculine  will.  It  was 
greatly  against  the  wishes  of  her  strict  and  aristocratic 
father  that  she  married  a  baker's  son  for  her  first  hus- 
band. Mowever,  she  carried  her  point,  and  her  mother 
appears  to  have  sided  with  her  in  this  affair  of  the  heart. 
The  parents  were  not  at  the  marriage,  although  they  had 
given  their  consent. 

As  a  young  girl  she  had  defied  opinion  and  cultivated 
that  sport  which  her  son  was  afterwards  to  render  world- 
famous.     She  was  devoted  to  snow-shoeing,  which  was  at 
that  time  thought  unwomanly  and  even  improper.     As  a 
housewife  she  was  one  of  those  who  know  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  house 
from  attic  to  cellar  —  ac- 
tive,    managing,     ready 
with  her  hands  and  not 
afraid    of    the    coarsest 
v/ork.    If  the  servant  had 
blistered  her  fingers,  the 
lady  of  the  house  would 
herself    take    hold    and 
wring  out  the  wet  linen. 
She  worked  in  the  gar- 
den, and  she  made  her 
boys'  clothes.    They  had 
no  other  tailor  until  they 
were  eighteen  years  old. 

Nevertheless,  she  found  time  to  acquire  the  knowledc^e 
she  had  not  stored  up  in  early  youth.  Her  will  power 
and  love  of  activity,  her  intrepidity,  her  practical  and  reso- 
iute  nature  ' 1  ,    .       . 


nansen's  mothkk 


have  descended  to  h 


er  son. 


I 


i8 


J\rANS£JV  AV  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nansen,  after  their  marriage,  settled 
down  upon  a  small  property  belonging  to  her  at  Great 
Froen  in  West  Aker.    Here  Fridtjof  was  born  on  October 

lo,  1861. 

In  the  choice  of  his  birthplace,  his  lucky  star,  as  we 
have  said  before,  had  ordered  things  for  the  best.     Here 
was  country  life,  here  were  cows  and  horses,  geese  and 
hens,  hills  for  snow-shr  ,-ing  on  every  side,  great  forests 
close  at  hand,  and,  only  some  two  miles  and  a  half  away, 
an    excellent    school,   one   of    the   \j^A    in    Christiania. 
These   two    miles   and    a   half   were    reckoned    a   mere 
nothine  in  the  Nansen  household.     First  to  school  in  the 
morning,  and   back  again,  then,  on   summer  afternoons, 
down  to   the  fortress   to   learn   tc   swim  —  that  makes  a 
good  ten  miles  of  a  hot  summer's  day,  to  say  nothing  of 
minor  wanderings.     And  there  were  invariably  fights  by 
the  way  —  systematic  training,  be  it  observed,  from  the 

very  first. 

Froen  farmyard  was  the  scene  of  the  boy's  earliest 
expeditions,  and  it  was  not  Arctic  cold,  but  torrid  heat 
that  first  imperilled  his  life.  One  day  when  he  was  three 
years  old,  and  still  in  frocks,  he  stood  hammering  away  at 
a  wheelbarrow,  no  doubt  trying  to  mend  it,  when,  to  the 
consternation  of  those  in  the  kitchen,  a  column  of  smoke 
was  seen  to  be  rishig  from  his  person.  "  He  's  on  fire  !  " 
was  the  cry.  Out  ri?^hed  the  housekeeper,  and  tore  his 
clothes  off  his  back.  In  the  course  of  his  wanderings,  he 
had  visited  the  brew-house,  where  some  sparks  from  the 
fire  had  lodged  in  his  petticoats;  and  behold!  he  vas 
within  an  ace  of  being  burnt  to  death  in  blissful  uncon- 
sciousness that  anything  was  amiss. 

The  FroQ-ner  River  flowed  right  past  the  front  door  at 


ye,  settled 
r  at  Great 
)n  October 

star,  as  we 

est.     Here 

geese  and 

-eat  forests 

half  away, 

Christiania. 

;d    a   mere 

hooi  in  the 

afternoons, 

it  makes  a 

nothing  of 

y  fights  by 

i,  from  the 

)y's  earliest 
torrid  heat 
le  was  three 
ing  away  at 
/hen,  to  the 
in  of  smoke 
's  on  fire  !  " 
md  tore  his 
nderings,  he 
ks  from  the 
Did!  he  vas 
ssful  uncon- 

[ront  door  at 


AT^ArS/^AT'S  ANCESTRY  AXD   CHILD FTOOD 


CKKAT   FROHN  — THE    DWELLINCJ- 


HOUSE 


F,oen,  and  here  Fndtjof  and  his  younger  brother  would 
bathe  m  the  fresh  of  the  evening,  in  the  coldest  pool  they 

t™  s  nearly  pensh  wth  the  cold,  so  that  after  coming  out 
of  the  water  he  had  to  be  dragged  about  at  a  brisk  trft,  in 

he  costume  wh,d>  preceded  all  fashions  and  modes  of 
tlress,  m  order  to  keep  life  and  warmth  in  his  body 

Into  this  same  river  they  fell  through  the  ice 'in  the 

rndVrHt-t  •"  T  "°'"^  ''"^'"•'"■^^  °"  "'^  -=-  ^h 

"e::iig  hi  mr"  "^^^ ''"  "™"j°'  ^™-'^  -- 

But  it  also  presented  a  peaceful  moans  of  livelihood. 


20 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


They  selected  from  among  the  pea-sticks  those  made  of 
juniper,  rolled   their  trousers  well  up,  and  went  digging 

among  the  decayed  leaves  in 
the  garden  for  bait,  which 
they  stored  in  the  turned-up 
portion  of  their  breeches. 
Then  they  went  and  lished 
for  trout  or  minnows.  Now 
and  then  the  hook  would  go 
astray  and  stick  fast  in  Fridt- 
jrf's  under  lip;  whereupon 
Mrs.  Nansen  would  have  re- 
course to  father's  razor,  make 
a  resolute  incision  and  extract 
the  foreign  body.  No  fuss  or 
pother  on  cither  side.  Not 
so  much  as  a  sound. 

Here  at  Froen  he  first  ran 


NANSEN   AS  A   CHILD 


his    head    against    the    ice 


the  rough  ice  in  the  yard. 
When  tlie  Httle  five-year-old  rushed  into  the  kitchen,  there 
was  scarcely  a  white  spot  left  on  his  face,  for  the  bk)od 
that  trickled  down  it.  He  would  not  shed  a  tear,  and  was 
only  afraid  of  being  scolded.  But  from  that  day  to  this 
he  wears  his  first  ice-medal  in  the  shape  of  i  scar. 

They  hunted  squirrels  with  dog  and  bow,  "  Storm,"  the 
dog,  would  chase  the  squirrels  up  trees,  where  the  little 
creatures  found  a  tolerably  secure  asylum ;  for  the  arrows 
never  hit  them.  P""inally,  I<>idtjof,  inspired  by  Indian  tales, 
hit  upon  a  devilish  device  which  he  thought  must  prove 
fatal.  He  anointed  the  arrow-head  with  the  juice  of  a 
poisonous   mushroom,  so   that  a  wound   from  it  meant 


NANSEA'S  ANCESTRY  AND   CHILDHOOD 


21 


made  of 
digging 
leaves  in 
t,  which 
urned-up 
breeches, 
d  iished 
s.  Now 
rould  go 
in  Fridt- 
lereupon 
have  re- 
or,  make 
d  extract 
o  fuss  or 
:1c.     Not 

first  ran 
e  ice  — 
le  yard, 
en,  there 
le  bk)od 
and  was 
^  to  this 

)rm,"  the 
he  little 
e  arrows 
an  tales, 
st  prove 
ice  of  a 
t   meant 


certain  death.  But  the  arrows  somehow  did  no  more  ex- 
ecution, although  he  also  tipped  them  with  melted  lead 
to  make  them  carry  better. 

After  that   he   took   to   a   new  variety   of  weapon 

cannons.  He  stuffed  them  to  the  muzzle  with  powder, 
but  could  not  get  it  to  ignite.  Then  he  made  a  maroon,' 
and  poked  it  about  so  much  that  it  exploded  in  his  face.' 
The  cannon  ultimately  burst;  and  it  was  again  his 
mother's  task  to  take  him  aside  and  pick  out  the  powder 
grain  by  grain. 

He  himself  tells  the  story  of  his  first  snow-shoes,  and 
his  first  great  leap :  — 

"  I  am  not  speaking  of  the  very  first  pair  of  all  —  they 

were  precious  poor  ones,  cut 

down    from    cast-off    snow- 
shoes   which    had    belonged 

to  my  brothers   and  sisters. 

They  were  not  even  of  the 

same  length.    But  Mr.  Fabri- 

tius,  the  printer,   took    pity 

upon  me ;  'I  '11  give   you  a 

pair  of  snow-shoes,'  he  said. 

Then  spring  came  and  then 

summer,  and  with  the  best  will 

in  the  world   one  could  n't 

go   snow-shoeing.     But    Fa- 

britius's  promise  sang  in  my 

ears,  and  no  sooner  had  the 

autumn  come  and  the  fields 

begun  to  whiten  with   hoar-frost  of  a  morning,  than   I 

placed  myself  right  in  his  way,  where  I  knew  he  would 

come  driving  by. 


NANSF.N   AS  A    BOY 


22 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


" '  I  say !     What  about  those  snow-shoes  ? ' 
" '  You  shall   have   them   right   enough,'   he  said,  and 
laughed.     But   I  returned   to  the  charge  day  after  day: 
'  What  about  those  snow-shoes  ? ' 

"  Then  came  winter.  I  can  still  see  my  sister  standing 
in  the  middle  of  the  room  with  a  long,  long  parcel  w  liich 
she  said  was  for  me.  I  thought  she  said,  too,  it  was  from 
Paris.  But  that  was  a  mistake,  for  it  was  the  snow-shoes 
from  Fabritius  —  a  pair  of  red-lacquered  ash  snow-shoes 
with  black  stripes.  And  there  was  a  long  staff  too,  with 
shining  blue-lacquered  shaft  and  knob.  I  used  these 
snow-shoes  for  ten  years.  It  was  on  them  I  made  my 
first  big  jump  on  Huscby  Hill,  where  at  that  time  the 
great  snow-shoe  races  were  held.  We  boys  were  not 
allowed  to  go  there.  We  might  range  all  the  other  hills 
round  about,  but  the  Huseby  Hill  was  forbidden.  But 
we  could  see  it  from  Frben,  and  it  lured  us  day  after  day 
till  we  could  n't  resist  it  any  longer.  At  first  I  started 
from  the  middle  of  the  hill,  like  most  of  the  other  boys, 
and  all  went  well.  But  presently  I  saw  there  were  one 
or  two  who  started  from  the  top;  so  of  course  I  had 
to  try  it.  Off  I  set.  came  at  frantic  speed  to  the  jump, 
sailed  for  what  seemed  a  long  time  in  space,  and  ran 
my  snow-shoes  deep  into  a  snow-drift.  We  did  n't  have 
our  shoes  fastened  on  in  those  days,  so  they  remained 
sticking  in  the  drift,  while  I,  head  first,  described  a  fine 
arc  in  the  air.  I  liad  such  way  on,  too,  that  when  I 
came  down  again  I  bored  into  the  snow  up  to  my  waist. 
There  was  a  moment's  hush  on  the  hill.  The  boys 
thought  I  had  broken  my  neck.  But  as  soon  as  they 
saw  there  was  life  in  me,  and  that  I  was  beginning  to 
scramble  out,  a  shout  of  mocking  laughter  went  up;  an 


,4 
1 


sa» 


said,  and 
fter  day: 

standing 
:el  which 
was  from 
ow-shoes 
ow-shoes 
too,  with 
ed  these 
nade  my 
time  the 
vere  not 
thcr  hills 
en.  But 
after  day 
I  started 
ler  boys, 
vere  one 
;e  I  had 
he  jump, 
and  ran 
n't  have 
remained 
?d  a  fine 

when  I 
ny  waist, 
he   boys 

as  they 
nning  to 
t  up ;  an 


JV^JVSJi.V'S  ANCESTRY  AND   CHILDHOOD  23 

endless  roar  of  derision  over  the  entire  hill  from  top  to 
bottom. 

"After  that,  I  took  part  in  the  Huseby  Hill  races  and 
won  a  prize.  But  I  didn't  take  it  home;  for  I  was  put 
to  shame  on  that  occasion  as  well.  It  was  the  first  time 
I  had  seen  the  Telemark  peasants  snow-shoeino-,  and  I 
recognized  at  a  glance  that  I  wasn't  to  be  mentioned 
in  the  same  breath  with  them.  They  used  no  staff;  they 
simply  went  ahead  and  made  the  leap  without  trusting  to 
anything  but  the  strength  of  their  muscles  and  the  firm, 
hthe  carriage  of  their  bodies.  I  saw  that  this  was  the 
only  proper  way.  Until  I  had  mastered  it,  I  would  n't 
have  any  prize." 

He  was  a  terrible  one  for  falling  into  brown  studies. 
Between  putting  on  the  first  and  the  second  stocking  of 
a  morning,  there  was  always  a  prolonged  interval.  Then 
his  brothers  and  sisters  would  call  out,  "  There 's  the 
duffer  at  it  again!  You'll  never  come  to  any  good, 
you  're  such  a  dawdler." 

He  was  always  bent  on  getting  to  the  bottom  of  every- 
thing. He  asked  so  many  questions,  says  one  of  his  older 
friends,  that  it  made  one  absolutely  ill.  "  Many  a  time 
have  I  given  him  a  thundering  scolding  for  this  everlast- 
ing '  Why  ?  -  Why .?  -  Why  ? '  "  The  arrival  of  a  sewing- 
machine  at  Froen  naturally  aroused  the  demon  of  curios- 
ity in  all  his  virulence.  He  must  find  out  what  kind  of 
animal  this  was.  So  he  took  it  all  to  pieces,  and  when 
his  mother  came  back  from  town,  the  machine  wvas  the 
most  disjointed  puzzle  imaginable.  If  tradition  is  to  be 
trusted,  however,  he  did  not  give  in  until  he  had  put  it  all 
together  again. 


CHAPTER   II 


YOUTH 


\\ 


If,  weary  of  the  soft  grace  of  the  Christiania  Valley, 
one  turns  and  gazes  northward  from  the  tower  on  Try- 
vand  Height,  one  is  confronted,  as  far  as  eye  can  see, 
with  blue-black  forests  —  forests  and  nothing  but  forests, 
ridge  behind  ridge,  on  and  on  to  the  farthest  verge  of 
the  horizon. 

This  is  Nordmarken,  an  unbroken  stretch  of  Nor- 
wegian woodland,  many  square  miles  in  extent,  a  lonely 
world  of  narrow  valleys,  abrupt  heights,  secluded  glassy 
lakes,  and  foaming  rivers. 

Into  this  solitude  no  murmur  from  the  busy  capital 
ever  penetrates,  not  even  the  sound  of  a  panting  engine 
or  the  warning  whistle  of  a  steamboat  cautiously  thread- 
ing the  intricacies  of  the  fjord  in  the  dense  sea-fog. 

At  the  frontier  of  Nordmarken  the  comforts  of  civiliza- 
tion instantaneously  stop  short.  When  you  have  said 
good-bye  to  the  great  hotels  on  the  slopes  of  the  Frogner 
Saeter,  and  plunged  into  these  interminable  forests,  you 
may  wander  for  days  without  coming  across  anything 
remotely  resembling  an  hotel. 

Yes,  here  all  is  peaceful  and  still  —  breathlessly  still  — 
when  summer  spreads  her  light  veil  over  the  glassy  lakes 
and  dark  green  leas,  when  the  black-grouse  drowses  in 
the  heather,  and  even  the  thrush  in  the  pine-tops  hushes 
his  song. 


NANSEN'S    youth'  3. 

There  is  breathless  stillness,  too,  of  a  clear  autumn 
evening  when  the  birch  sees  its  yellow  silk,  and  the  aspen 
its  gorgeous  scarlet,  reflected  in  the  black  mirror  of  the 
lake,  framed  in  the  delicate  pale  red  of  the  heather. 

Again  there  is  breathless  stillness  — perhaps  even  more 
complete  — during  the  long  night  of  winter,  when  the 
stars  glitter  over  the  snow-laden  forest  and  the  white- 
frozen  surface  of  the  lake,  and  no  sound  is  heard  save  the 
soft  trickle  of  the  ice-bound  river. 

In  the  shooting  and  fishing  season  it  is  no  longer  the 
Great  Pan  who  reigns.  Fishing-rods  by  the  score  hang 
over  the  river  like  a  bending  wood,  and  the  guns  of  the 
city  sportsmen  keep  up  a  continual  popping  and  banging 
in  a  spirit  of  noisy  competition.  Even  t'  e  boundless 
abundance  of  fish  and  game  is  thus  on  the  decline. 
Waterworks  have  interfered  with  the  spawning,  dam  after 
dam  bars  the  fishes'  way  up  stream,  and  the  river  bed  lies 
dry  for  weeks  together. 

It  was  not  so  twenty  years  ago,  in  Fridtjof  Nansen's 
boyhood.  He  was  among  the  few,  the  pioneers,  the  elect. 
That  Robinson  Crusoe  existence  which  less  favored  boys 
must  be  content  to  live  in  imagination  was  vouchsafed  to 
iiim  in  its  glorious  reality.  Of  his  first  expedition  to  the 
borders  of  that  Promised  Land  he  has  himself  written  as 
follows :  — 

"  I  showed  no  great  intrepidity  on  my  first  voyage  of 
discovery,  although  it  went  no  farther  than  to  Sorkedal. 

"I  was  somewhere  about  ten  or  eleven  at  the  time,  and 
Lip  in  Sorkedal  lived  several  boys  who  were  friends  of 
mine,  and  who  had  asked  my  brothers  and  myself  to  come 
and  see  them.  One  afternoon  in  June,  as  we  were  sitting 
out  on  the  steps,  it  came  over  us  all  of  a  sudden  that  we 


26 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


really  ought  to  act  upon  this  invitation.    We  had  a  notion 
that  we  ought  to  ask  our  parents'  leave,  and  an  equally 
clear  notion  that  we  should  n't  get  it  if  we  did.     Father 
and  m(  ther  were  taking  a  siesta;  we  dared  not  disturb 
them,  and  if  we  waited  till  they  awakened  it  would  be  too 
late  to   go.     So  we  took  French  leave  and   slipped  off. 
The  first  part  of  the  way  was  familiar  to  us.     We  knew 
where  Engeland  lay,  and  made  our  way  to  Bogstad  with- 
out much  hesitation.     After  that  we  were  rather  at  sea; 
but  we  asked  our  way  from  point  to  point,  first  to  the 
Sorkedal  church,  and  after  that  to  the  farm  where  the 
boys  lived.    By  the  time  we  got  there  it  was  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening.     Then  we  had  to  play  with  our  friends 
and  go  and  see  the  barn,  and  afterwards  to  do  a  little  fish- 
ing.    But  it  was  n't  any  real  fun.     Our  consciences  were 
so  bad  that  we  had  no  peace  for  so  much  as  half  an  hour. 
Then  the  time  came  for  us  to  go  home,  and  our  hearts 
sank  so  dreadfully  that  the  way  back  seemed  ever  so  much 
wearier  than  the  way  out.      The  youngest  soon  became 
footsore,  and  it  was  a  melancholy  ])rocession  that  slowly 
dragged  itself  towards  Froen  farm  at  eleven  o'clock  that 
night.     W^e    saw  from  a  long  way  off  that  people  were 
afoot ;  no  doubt  they  had  been  searching  for  us.     We  felt 
anything  but  fearless.     As  we  turned  the  corner,  mother 
came  towards  us.    '  Is  that  you,  boys.?'    ' Now  we're  in  for 
it! '  we  thought.     '  Where  have  you  been  } '  mother  asked, 

"  Well,  we  had  been  to  Sorkedal.  Now  for  it !  But 
mother  only  said  in  an  odd  way :  '  You  are  strange  boys  I ' 
And  she  had  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Fancy,  not  the  least  bit  of  a  scolding !  Fancy  getting 
to  bed  with  our  blistered  feet,  and  without  the  least  bit  of 
a  scolding  ! 


a  notion 
I  equally 
Father 
;  disturb 
d  be  too 
)ped  off. 
Jq.  knew 
:ad  with- 

■  at  sea; 
t  to  the 
lere  the 
1  o'clock 

■  friends 
ttle  fish- 
:es  were 
an  hour, 
r  hearts 
so  much 

became 
t  slowly 
)ck  that 
•le  were 
We  felt 

mother 
re  in  for 
r  asked, 
t !  But 
I  boys ! ' 

getting 
5t  bit  of 


A^ANSEN'S    YOUTH  27 

"  And  the  most  extraordinary  part  of  it  was  that  a  few 
days  later  we  were  allowed  to  go  again  to  Sorkedal. 
Could  it  be  that  father  and  mother  had  come  to  think 
that  they  had  been  a  little  too  strict  with  us  } 

"  While  I  was  in  my  teens,  I  used  to  pass  weeks  at  a 
time  alone  in  the  forest.  I  disliked  having  any  equipment 
for  my  expeditions.  I  managed  with  a  crust  of  bread  and 
..roiled  my  fish  on  the  embers.  I  loved  to  live  like  Rob- 
inson Crusoe  up  there  in  the  v.'ilderness." 

But  frequently  Nansen  was  accompanied  by  his  brother 
and  an  older  member  of  the  family,  who  happened  to  be 
an  enthusiastic  huntsman  and  fisherman.  And  in  this 
way,  from  the  age  of  twelve  upwards,  the  boys  trained 
themselves  to  bear  those  fatigues  which  are  the  best  thing 
in  the  world  for  hardening  the  muscles.  The  tramp 
became  longer  and  longer,  they  pushed  on  farther  and 
farther  afield,  as  they  grew  older ;  first  to  Sorkedal  —  then 
to  Langli  River— then  Svarten  (the  Black  Lake)  —  San- 
dungen  —  Katnosa. 

The  woods  of  Nordmarken  offered  plenty  of  long  runs 
for  a  ''ski-runner''  who  preferred  to  go  his  own  wa^'y.  It 
was  here  that  a  feeling  for  nature  was^ fostered  in  him  — a 
sense  of  the  beauty  of  winter  and  summer,  and  of  shifting 
atmospheric  moods  which  do  not  as  a  rule  appeal  to  boys^ 
Here  his  tissues  were  hardened  to  face  the  Polar  winters, 
while  he  stood  in  the  crackling  frost  waiting  for  the  hare,' 
and  envying  him  his  warm  white  fur.  It  was  hereabouts 
(at  I-ylliiigen)  that  he  was  once  hare-hunting  with  his 
brother  for  thn-teen  days  on  end.  At  the  las\  they  had 
nothing  to  live  on  but  potato  cakes,  and  were  half  starved, 
both  they  and  their  dog.  Then  came  killing-day  at  the 
fnrm,  and  the  brothers  consumed  black-puddings  till  thev 


B 


28 


NANSEM  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


'  f! 


i 


nearly  burst.  When  the  time  came  to  go  home,  Fridtjof 
had  to  shoulder  seven  hares,  slung  by  the  legs.  He 
slipped,  fell  forwards,  and  all  the  hares  shot  out  like  the 
rays  of  a  halo  round  his  head. 

There  was  one  thing  that  used  to  annoy  his  snow- 
shoeing  cronies  in  those  days,  and  that  was  his  total  care- 
lessness as  to  creature  comforts.  If  he  happened  to 
look  from  the  tower  on  Tryvand's  Height  away  over  to 
Stubdal,  twenty  miles  off,  a  whim  would  all  of  a  sudden 
seize  him,  and  nothing  would  serve  but  he  must  set  off 
without  taking  a  crumb  of  food  with  him.  He  on  one 
occasion  descended  upon  a  farm  in  Stubdal  so  ravenously 
hungry  that  the  people  did  not  forget  his  visit  for  many 
a  day. 

Another  i\m^.  he  and  a  party  of  his  friends  set  off  on  a 
long  snow-shoeing  expedition,  each  with  his  provision  wal- 
let on  his  back  —  each  one,  that  is  to  say,  except  Fridtjof 
Nansen.  But  when  they  got  to  the  first  resting-place  he 
unbuttoned  his  jacket  and  took  out  of  his  breast  pocket 
—  concealed  deep  within  the  lining  —  several  pancakes, 
which  were  as  hot  after  the  snow-shoeing  as  if  they  had 
just  come  off  the  pan.  He  held  them  up  smoking : 
"  Have  a  pancake,  any  of  you  fellows  ?  "  None  of  them 
were  dainty,  but  the  pancakes  seemed  even  less  so,  and 
they  declined  with  thanks.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  the  more 
fools  you,  for  let  me  tell  you  there  's  jam  in  them ! "  It 
is  in  such  traits  that  he  shows  his  kinship  with  the  deni- 
zens of  the  great  forests.  He  has  the  recklessness  of  the 
hunter  and  the  lumberman,  t  leir  daring  and  headlong 
spirits.  He  is  a  typical  east-country  boy.  But  at  the 
same  time  there  is  systematic  intention  in  the  training  to 
which  he  subjects  himself;  his  alert  imbition  reinforces 


NANSEN'S    YOUTH  29 

his  delight  in  unvarnished  nature,  and  his  tendency  to 
set  at  defiance  the  customs  of  civiHzation.  "The  least 
possible  "  is  early  his  ideal,  and  he  has  not  the  slightest 
objection  to  shocking  public  opinion  in  acting  up  to  his 
principles.  It  never  occurs  to  him  to  doubt  that  it  is  he 
who  is  right  and  the  world  that  is  wrong.  He  appears  to 
have  been  one  of  the  first  consistent  disciples  of  Jaeger 
in  Christiania,  and  later  on,  in  his  letters  from  Bergen,  he 
boasts  that  now  the  wool  theory  is  admitted  on  all  hands. 
He  quotes  in  this  connection  one  of  his  favorite  sayino-s : 
"  There  was  a  man  in  a  madhouse  in  London,  who  used 
to  say :  'I  said  the  world  was  crazy,  but  the  world  said 
that  I  was  crazy,  and  so  they  put  me  here.'  " 

One  thing  his  friends  had  to  guard  against :  they  must 
never  say  to  him  that  anythmg  was  impossible,  far  that 
was  inevitably  the  signal  for  him  to  attempt  it.  His  boy- 
ish impetuosity  brought  him  on  one  occasion  to  death's 
door  — to  the  \'>ry  verge  of  one  of  those  leaps  which 
even  the  most  expert  athlete  cannot  clear. 

It  was  in  1S78.  On  a  walking  tour  with  his  brother 
Alexander,  lie  came  to  Gjendin  in  the  Jotunheim,  and 
must  needs  climb  the  Svartdal  Peak.  There  was  a  way 
round  the  back  of  the  mountain  which  was  more  or  less 
practicable,  but  Fridtjof  would  have  none  of  that;  he  must 
of  course  go  straight  up  the  precipitous  black  face  of  the 
hill.  "  As  we  got  up  towards  the  peak,"  his  brother  relates, 
"  there  was  a  snow-field  which  we  had  to  cross.  Beyond 
the  snow-field  lay  the  precipice,  straight  down  into  the 
valley.  1  had  already  had  several  attacks  of  giddiness,  so 
that  Fridtjof  had  given  me  his  alpenstock,  and  was  with- 
out it  when  it  came  to  crossing  the  glacier.  Instead  of 
going  carefully  step  by  step,  as  he  would  do  now,  he  goes 


I 


3° 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


at  it  with  a  rush,  slips,  and  begins  to  slide  down.  I  can 
see  him  turn  pale.  A  few  seconds  more,  and  he  will  lie 
crushed  to  death  in  the  vaKjy.  He  digs  his  heels  and 
nails  into  the  ice,  and  brings  himself  to  a  standstill  in  the 
nick  of  time.  That  moment  I  shall  never  foriiet.  Nor 
shall  I  forget  his  coming  down  to  the  tourist  chalet  and 
disappearing  into  the  trousers  which  the  burly  secretary 
of  the  Tourist  Club,  N.  G.  Dietrichson,  had  to  lend  him, 
an  essential  part  of  his  own  having  yielded  to  the  friction 
of  the  glacier." 


The  same  year  in  which  Fridtjof  Nansen  was  in  the 
Jotunheim,  he  had  his  first  experience  of  ptarmigan  shoot- 
ing in  the  mountains, —  Norefjeld  and  thereabouts, —  and 
it  was  then  they  went  on  a  tramp  so  exhausting  that  one 
of  his  brothers  fell  asleep  far  up  on  the  heights,  and  had 
to  be  hauled  along  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  It  was 
probably  these  early  hunting  expeditions  through  the  for- 
est and  over  the  mountain  plateaux  that  gave  him  his  taste 
for  the  accurate  observation  of  animal  life,  and  thus  sup- 
plied the  initial  impulse  towards  the  line  of  study  which 
he  finally  chose.  In  the  year  1880  he  matriculated  with 
sufficient  credit  to  prove  that  his  distractions  during 
schooltime  had  not  been  so  absorbing  as  to  prevent  him 
from  settling  down  to  work  when  the  moment  arrived. 
He  got  a  first  class  in  all  natural  science  subjects,  mathe- 
matics, and  history;  and  when  in  December,  1881,  he  went 
up  for  his  second  examination,  he  was  classed  as  laudabilis 
pr(S  ceteris.  He  appears  about  this  time  to  have  been  in 
some  uncertainty  as  to  his  choice  of  a  career.  He  was 
entered  as  a  cadet  at  the  military  academy,  but  the  nomi- 
nation was 'cancelled  when  he  finally  resolved  to  continue 


NANSEN'S   YOUTH  31 

his  scientific  studies.     He  never  '  jntemplated  goino-  into 
the  medical  profession,  but  had  at  one  time  an  idea  of 
taking  the  first  part  of  the  medical  examination.    It  ended, 
however,  in  his  choosing  a  spe^cial  branch,  Zoology.     As 
early  as  January,  1882,  he  applies  to  Professor  CoUett  for 
advice.    The  Professor  happens  to  remember  how  he  him- 
self has  been  urged  by  Arctic  seamen   to  go  with   them 
and  prosecute    his  studies    during  a  sealing    expedition. 
This  ought  to  be  the  very  thing  for  Nansen.     He  is  an 
expert  sportsman  and  a  good  shot  —  why  should  he  not 
go  to  tlie  Arctic  regions  on  board  a  sealing  vessel,  make 
his  observations,  keep  a  record,  and  train  himself  for  de- 
scriptive zoological  research  ?     Nansen  came  to  see  him, 
and  he  made  the  suggestion,  which  took  hold  of  the  young 
man  at  once.     A  week  later  he  again  called  on  the  Pro- 
fessor, having  in  the  mean  time  spoken  to  Captain  Kref- 
ting  of  the  sealer  Viking,  and  arranged  matters  with  him. 
On  January  2:1,,  Nansen's  father  telegraphed   to  an   old 
friend  in  Arendal  asking  him  to  secure  the  ship-owners' 
sanction.     The  friend  was  able,  when  called  upon,  to  de- 
clare that  Fridtjof  Nansen  was  a  sturdy,  strapping  fellow, 
ready  with  his  hands,  and  capable  of  great  endurance,  so 
that,  to  the  best  of  the  witness's  belief,  he  would  prove  a 
useful  and  desirable  member  of  the  expedition.     Permis- 
sion was  instantly  wired   back,  and  Nansen,  having  em- 
ployed the  brief  interval  at  the  university  in  studying  the 
anatomy  of  the  seal,  sailed  from  the  port  of  Arendal  on 
board  the  Viking  or^  Saturday,  March  11. 

The  cruise  lasted  five  months;  during  which  Nansen 
shot  about  five  hundred  large  seals,  and  fourteen  Polar 
bears.  The  Viking  got  fast  in  the  ice  off  the  east  coast 
of  Greenland,  and  it  was  there  that  the  idea  occurred  to 


I 


!  1 


hi 

i! 


11       .  !i 


i 


32  NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 

Nansen  that  it  would  be  practicable  to  land  on  the  coast 
and  cross  the  inland  ice. 

We  have  Fridtjof  Nansen's  own  word  for  it  that  these 
weeks  off  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  exercised  a  deter- 
mining influence  over  him.  "  By  day  the  peaks  and  the 
glaciers  lay  glittering  beyond  the  drift  ice  ;  in  the  evening 
and  at  night,  when  the   sun   tinged   them  with  color  and 


IN    TIIK    I'OLAR    >1-,A 


set  air  and  clouds  on  fire  behind  them,  their  wild  beauty 
was  thrown  into  even  bolder  relief." 

He  brooded  incessantly  over  plans  for  reaching  that 
coast  which  so  many  have  sought  in  vain.  It  must  be 
possible,  he  thought,  to  make  your  way  over  the  ice,  drag- 
ging your  boat  along  with  you.  He  wanted  to  set  off 
alone  and  walk  ashore,  but  permission  was  refused  him. 
Already  he  had  begun  to  entertain  notions  of  penetrating 


NANSEN'S    YOUTH 


33 


to  the  heart  of  the  country;  and  within  a  year  of  his 
return  to  Norway  the  idea  of  crossing  Greenland  on 
snow-shoes  had  taken  firm  root  in  his  mind. 

While  Fridtjof  Nansen  was  swimming  across  the  rifts 
in  the  ice  after  Polar  bears,  the  Director-in-Chief  of  the 
Bergen  Museum,  Dr.  Danielssen,  was  turning  things  over 
in  his  mind.  He  needed  a  new  assistant.  Before  the 
bear-hunter  had  reached  Christiania,  Professor  Robert 
Collett  was  applied  to  by  telegraph  for  his  advice.  He 
thought  instantly  of  Nansen,  and  asked  him,  the  moment 
he  set  foot  on  shore,  if  he  would  care  to  become  Curator 
{Kouservaior)  of  the  Bergen  Museum.  He  agreed  at  once. 
He  was  not  yet  twenty-one,  and  had  done  nothing  what- 
ever to  make  his  mark  in  science  ;  so  it  was  certainly  a 
very  tempting  offer.  He  held  the  position  of  Curator  of 
the  Bergen  Museum  till  1888,  during  which  time  he  was 
enga^^ed  in  carrying  on  zoological  investigations. 

Few  things  are  more  characteristic  of  Nansen  than  the 
way  in  which  he  passed  from  Polar  bear-hunting  to  the 
work-room  of  the  Bergen  Museum.  "  I  have  become  an 
absolute  first-class  stick-in-the-mud."  he  says  in  a  letter  to 
his  father  as  early  as  October  17,  1882.  He,  the  athlete 
and  sportsman  par  excellence,  has  to  "  reassure  "  his  father 
by  informing  him  that  he  is  a  member  of  two  gymnastic 
societies  !  He  throws  himself  into  his  scientific  work  as 
passionately  as  if  it  were  the  most  thrilling  of  adventures. 
He  pursues  the  paltriest  insect  revealed  by  the  micro- 
scope no  less  impetuously  than  he  pursued  the  bears 
over  the  Arctic  wastes.  In  the  course  of  his  studies  of  the 
nervous  system,  Nansen  became  acquainted  with  the  chro- 
mic silver  method  of  staining  the  nerve  fibres  invented 
by  Professor  Golgi  of  Pavia. 
3 


34 


NANS  EN  IN  THE   FROZEN    WORLD 


I 


■ 


In  order  thoroughly  to  familiarize  himself  with  this  im- 
portant auxiliary  to  the  investigations  which  had  now  oc- 
cupied him  for  several  years,  he  determined,  in  the  spring 
of  1886,  to  go  to  Italy.  Partly  under  Golgi's  personal 
guidance,  and  partly  at  the  Zoological  Station  in  Naples, 
where  he  would  find  ample  material,  he  hoped  to  be  able 
to  carry  his  researches  somewhat  farther  than  had  been 
possible  with  the  methods  hitherto  in  vogue.  The  previ- 
ous year,  at  the  Bergen  Museum,  he  had  won  the  Joachim 
Friele  gold  medal  for  his  work  on  the  myzostoma.  He 
had  taken  the  medal  in  copper,  and  applied  the  value  of 
the  gold  to  his  travelling  expenses. 

After  a  short  stay  in  Pavia,  where  he  conferred  with 
Professor  Golgi  and  Dr.  Fusari,  he  went  on  to  Naples, 
where  he  spent  the  follov»ing  months, from  April  till  June, 
1886,  at  the  celebrated  Zoological  Station. 

The  principal  results  of  his  studies  he  embodied  in  sev- 
eral biological  works;  for  "The  Structure  and  Combina- 
tion  of  the  Histological  Elements  of  the  Central  Nervous 
System  "  Nansen  received  his  doctor's  degree. 

By  the  great  public,  Fridtjof  Nansen  is  known  and  ad- 
mired chiefly  as  the  dauntless  explorer  of  the  unknown 
wastes  of  the  North  Pole.  The  above  may  help  to  im- 
press upon  the  public,  that  Nansen  is  also  an  investigator 
of  note  in  another  domain,  which,  though  it  does  not 
attract  so  much  attention,  perhaps  deserves  it  no  less. 

Voyages  of  discovery  in  the  quiet  study,  in  the  labora- 
tory, in  thf  world  of  the  microscope,  in  Natures  secret 
workshop, —  these  too  minister  to  the  enlightenment  of 
mankind  and  the  jirogrcss  of  civilization.  In  this  field 
I'ridtjof  Nansen  proved  himself  a  born  discoverer,  and,  at 
an  unusually  early  age,  developed  an  activity  which  was 
rich  in  promise. 


"P 


CHAPTER    III 

NANSEn's    GREENLAND    EXPEDITION PREPARATIONS PLAN 

EQUIPMENT 

"  One  winter  evening  in  'Sy;'  writes  Dr.  Grieg,  "  I  sat 
in  my  den  at  3A  Parkveien,  absorbed  in  my  work.  Sud- 
denly the  door  was  flung  wide  open,  and  in  stalked 
Nansen,  with  his  long-haired,  badly  trained  dog  Jenny. 
Without  pretending  to  be  an  authority  on  the  subject, 
it  is  my  opinion  that  Nansen  is  too  absent-minded  to  be 
able  to  train  good  sporting  dogs.  The  evening  was  cold, 
so  that  even  Nansen  had  thrown  his  plaid  over  his  shoul- 
ders.    He  sat  down  on  the  sofa  just  opposite  me. 

" '  Do  you  know  what  I  'm  going  to  set  about  now  ? ' 
he  said.  '  I  mean  to  have  a  try  at  crossing  Greenland.' 
And  he  set  forth  his  plans  with  the  aid  of  my  old  atlas, 
which  I  shall  always  associate  with  the  memory  of  that 
evening.  He  was  excited  and  wrought-up,  and,  at  that 
stage,  far  from  being  certain,  or  even  hopeful,  of  finding 
things  go  easily.  I  saw  he  wanted  objections  to  discuss, 
and  I  supplied  him  with  what  occurred  to  me,  though  I 
knew  nothing  of  the  subject.  '  It  would  be  easiest  to 
make  the  crossing  lower  down,  you  understand,'  he  said, 
•  but  the  real  thing  will  be  to  show  the  world  that  Green- 
land can  be   crossed  so  far  north   as  this '  and   he 

pointed  out  where  he  had  at  first  planned  to  start.  He 
little  dreamed  that  this  stretch  of  coast,  which  he  treated 
so  lightly  that  evening,   would  prove  so  hard  a  nut  to 


36 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


crack.  He  said  he  was  goins:  to  Stockholm.  '  What 
are  you  going  to  do  there  ? '  '  To  look  up  Nordenskjold, 
and  ask  him  to  give  me  his  opinion  of  my  scheme.  I 
shall  just  wait  to  take  my  doctor's  degree  in  the  spring, 
and  then  off  to  Greenland.  It  will  be  a  hard  spring,  old 
man,  but  pooh  !  I  shall  manage  it.' 

'*  Another  friend  had  meanwhile  dropped  in.  We  all 
three  walked  to  Skarpsno,  we  two  everyday  people  mak- 
ing feeble  objections,  he  meeting  them  with  increasing 
warmth  and  with  youthful  emphasis  of  conviction.  He 
would  stake  his  life  on  the  plan,  and  we  should  see  it 
would  all  go  smoothly.  It  was  like  a  revelation,  in  these 
decadent  days,  to  find  a  man  of  action  ready  to  lay  down 
his  life  for  his  idea.  I  was  impressed  and  moved  that 
evening  when  we  partt^d." 

He  went  to  Stockholm.  It  may  be  noted  at  this  point 
that  it  was  in  1886  that  Peary  and  Maigaard,  with  their 
scanty  equipment,  had  made  a  highly  successful  inroad 
upon  the  Greenland  ice  field,  intended,  as  Peary  had 
expressly  stated  in  his  brief  narrative,  merely  as  a  prelim- 
inary reconnaissance.  Nansen  had  no  time  to  lose  if  he 
did  not  want  to  be  anticipated.  Moreover,  nis  zoological 
and  anatomical  labors  vere  in  the  mean  time  at  a  stand- 
still. His  great  essay  on  the  histological  elements  of  the 
central  nervous  system  was  finished,  and  could  at  any 
time  be  handed  in  as  a  thesis  for  his  doctor's  degree. 

"When,  on  Thursday,  November  3,  1887,  I  entered  my 
work-room,  in  the  Mineralogical  Institute  of  the  Stock- 
holm High  School,"  says  Professor  lirogger,  "  my  janitor 
told  me  that  there  had  been  a  Norwegian  asking  for 
me.  He  had  not  left  a  card,  and  did  not  say  who  he  was. 
Compatriots  without  a  name  and  without  a  visiting-card 


f 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND  EXPEDITION 


37 


were  no  rarity.  It  was  no  doubt  some  one  wanting  me 
to  relieve  him  from  a  momentary  embarrassment.'  '  What 
did  he  look  like.? '  I  said,  with  a  touch  of  annoyance. 

"  '  Tall  and  fair,'  answered  Andersson. 

"  '  Was  he  well  dressed  } ' 

"  '  He  had  n't  any  overcoat,'  said  Andersson,  smiling 
confidentially;  'he  looked  like  a  sailor,  or  something  of 
that  sort' 

"  Ah,  yes  —  a  sailor  without  an  overcoat !  No  doubt 
the  idea  was  that  I  should  supply  him  with  one.  I  saw 
it  all. 

"  An  hour  or  two  later  in  came  Wille.  '  Have  you  seen 
Nansen  }' 

"  '  Nansen  }  Was  that  the  name  of  the  sailor .?  The 
man  without  an  overcoat } ' 

"  '  Has  he  no  overcoat }  At  any  rate  he  's  going  to 
cross  the  Greenland  ice  sheet.'  And  Wille  rushed  off  — 
he  was  in  a  hurry. 

"  After  that  comes  another  of  my  colleagues,  Professor 
Lecke,  the  zoologist.  '  Have  you  seen  Nansen  }  Is  n't 
he  a  splendid  fellow  }  He  has  been  telling  me  of  many 
interesting  discoveries  about  the  sex  of  the  myxine  — 
and  about  his  investigations  of  the  nervous  system  too. 
Charming  things  !     Splendid  ! ' 

"  After  all  these  preliminaries,  Nansen  at  last  appeared 
in  person  —  tall  and  erect,  broad-shouldeied  and  powerful, 
yet  with  the  grace  and  suppleness  of  youth.  His  rather 
rough  hair  was  brushed  back  from  his  massive  forehi  ad. 
He  came  straight  uj)  to  me  and  gave  me  his  hand  with  a 
peculiarly  winning  smile,  while  he  introduced  himself. 

"  '  You  are  going  to  cross  Greenland  ? ' 

"  '  Well,  I  'm  thinking  of  it.' 


38 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


sl^ 


II 


"  I  looked   him  in  the  eyes.     There  he  stood  with  the 
kindly  smile  on  his  strongly-cut,  massive  face,  his  com- 
plete   self-confidence    awakening    confidence    in    others. 
Although  his  manner  was  just  the  same  all  the  time,— 
calm,  straightforward,  perhaps  even  a  little  awkward,'  — 
yet  it  seemed  as  if  he  grew  with  every  word.     This  plan, 
—  this  snow-shoe  expedition  from  the  east  coast,  —  which 
a  moment  ago  I  had   regarded  as  an   utterly  crazy  idea, 
became,  in  the  course  of  that  one  conversation,  the  most 
natural  thing  in  the  world.     The  conviction  possessed  me 
all  of  a  sudden :  he  will  do  this  thing,  as  surely  as  we  are 
sitting  here  and  talking  about  it. 

"  This  man  whose  name  I  had  never  so  much  as  heard 
until  a  couple  of  hours  before,  had  in  these  few  minutes  — 
quite  naturally  and  inevitably  as  it  seemed  — made  me 
feel  as  though  I  had  known  him  all  my  days;  and  with- 
out reflecting  at  all  as  to  how  it  happened,  I  knew  that  I 
should  be  proud  and  hapjjy  to  be  his  friend  through  life. 

"  '  We  '11  go  straight  to  Nordenskjold,'  I  said  ;  and  we 
went.  With  his  singular  dress  — a  tight-fitting,  dark  blue, 
jersey-like  blouse  or  jacket,  closely  buttoned  ui)  — he  did 
not  fail  to  attract  a  certain  amount  of  attention  in  Drott- 
ninggatan  (Queen  Street).  Gustaf  Retzius,  as  I  heard 
afterwards,  took  him  at  first  for  an  acrobat  or  rope- 
dancer. 

"  Well,  we  hunted  up  Nordenskjold,  crossing  the  quiet, 
cloistral  quadrangle  of  the  Academy  of  Science,  which 
has  always  something  awe-inspiring  about  it. 

"  Nordenskjold  was  in  his  laboratory,  as  usual  at  that 
time  in  the  morning.  We  went  through  the  anterooms 
filled  with  mineralogical  specimens  and  cases.  'These 
used  to  be  Berzelius  s  quarters,'  I  remarked  to  Nan.sen  in 


\ 


NANSE^'S   GREENLAND  EXPEDITION 


39 


passing.     Lindstrom,  the  Professor's  assistant,  presently 
appeared,  with  both  hands  full  of  retorts  and  chemicals. 

"  '  The  old  man  is  inside  ;  he  's  up  to  his  eyes  in  work,' 
he  whispered  quietly  to  me. 

"  There,  in  the  work-room,  '  old  man  Nor  '  was  wander- 
ing around  among  his  minerals.  I  can  never  see  his 
strong,  broad  back,  without  thinking  of  a  story  in  connec- 
tion with  his  boat  expedition  up  the  Yenisei  in  1875.  At 
one  point,  where  the  seas  repeatedly  threatened  to  swamp 
the  boat,  Nordenskjold  took  his  seat  on  the  after  gunwale, 
and  let  the  ice-cold  waves  break  on  his  broad  back. 
There  he  sat  for  hours,  doing  duty,  in  a  literal  sense,  as  a 
breakwater.     Of  such  stuff  are  Arctic  explorers  made. 

"  I  greeted  Nordenskjold  and  performed  the  introduc- 
tion. '  Curator  Nansen,  of  Bergen.  He  intends  to  cross 
the  Greenland  ice  sheet ' 

"  '  Good  heavens ! ' 

" '  And  he  would  like  to  consult  you  upon  the  matter.' 

"  '  I  'm  delighted  to  see  him.  So !  Mr.  Nansen  intends 
to  cross  Greenland  ? ' 

"  The  bombshell  had  fallen.  The  friendly,  amiable,  but 
somewhat  absent  expression  he  had  worn  an  instant  be- 
fore had  vanished,  and  his  liveliest  interest  was  aroused. 
He  seemed  to  be  scanning  the  young  man  from  head  to 
foot,  in  order  to  see  what  sort  of  stuff  he  had  in  him. 
Then  he  burst  out  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye:  'I  shall 
make  Mr.  Nansen  a  present  of  a  pair  of  excellent  boots! 
Indeed,  I  'm  not  joking;  it's  a  very  important  and  serious 
matter  to  have  your  foot-gear  of  the  best  (|uality.' 

"  The  ice  is  broken.  Nansen  expounds,  Nordenskjold 
nods  a  little  skeptically  now  and  then,  and  throws  in  a 
question  or  two.     He  no  doubt   regarded   the  plan  —  at 


40 


JVANSEM  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


least  SO  It  seemed  to  me-as  foolhardy,  but  not  absolutely 
impracticable.     It  was  obvious  that  Nansen's  personality 
had  instantly  made  a  strong  impression  on  him.     He  was 
at  once  prepared,  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  to  place  the 
results  of  his  own  experience  at  the  young  man's  service 
_    "  1  here  were  of  course  numbers  of  details  to  be  gone 
into:    the  Laplanders,  snow-shoes,  sledges,   and  boats - 
and    then   th<    r.estion   whether  the  drift   ice  could    be 
crossed  as  Na,..  a  had  planned.     But  'the  old  man  was 
up  to  his  eyes  in  work,'  and  it  was  agreed  that  Nansen 
should  come  again.     Meanwhile,   we   were   to  meet   the 
same  evening,  at  the  Geological   Society.     As  we  were 
leaving  I  said  aside  to  Nordenskjold,  '  Well,  what  do  you 
think  ?     I  back  him  to  do  it.' 

'"I    dare  sa3'    you  're    right,'  answered   Nordenskjold. 
tJut  the  skeptical  expression  was  again  to  the  fore 

"  After  the  meeting  at  the  Geological  Society,  Nansen 
accompanied  me  home.  It  was  pretty  well  on  in  the 
evening.  While  we  were  sitting  talking,  he  genial  and  at 
his  ease,  I  quite  absorbed  in  all  these  new  ideas,  there 
came  a  ring  at  the  door,  and  in  walked  Nordenskjold.  I 
at  once  saw  that  he  was  seriously  interested. 

"  We  sat  there  till   the  small  hours,  discussing  Arctic 
and  Antarctic  explorations  in  general,  and  the  Greenland 
expedition   in    particular.     It   was  only   four  years  since 
Nordenskjold  himself  had  made  his  last  expedition  on  the 
Greenland  ice  sheet;  and  he  was  at  this  time,  if  I  remem- 
ber rightly,  much    interested    in    arranging   a   combined 
Australian-Swedish    Antarctic    expedition,    in    which    his 
promising  son,  G.   Nordenskjold,'  who  unfortunately  died 
so  early,  was  to  haxe  taken  part. 
»  Three  years  later  tl>is  young  man  undertook  an  expedition  to  Spitsbergen. 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND  EXPEDITION  41 

"  I  was  going  the  next  day  to  the  usual  Fourth  of 
November  banquet  at  the  house  of  the  Norwegian  Secre- 
tary of  State,  and  I  asked  Nansen  if  he  would  care  to 
have  an  invitation.  No,  he  could  n't  well  appear  on  such 
an  occasion  —  he  had  only  the  clothes  he  was  wearing. 

But  Mr.  Nansen  can  come  and  dine  with  me,  just  as 
he  is '  suggested  Nordenskjola  with  frank  cordiality;  and 
so  it  was  arranged. 

"  I  cannot  say  whether  Nansen,  when  he  returned  to 
Christiania,  a  couple  of  days  later,  took  with  him  the  '  ex- 
cellent boots,'  though  I  know  that  Nordenskjold  after- 
wards sent  him  a  pair  of  snow-spectacles.  But,  boots  or 
no  boots,  he  certainly  took  back  with  him  many  a  valuable 
hint,  and  the  assurance  of  complete  sympp^hy  on  the  part 
of  the  great  explorer.  When,  nearly  two  years  later,  they 
again  met  in  Stockholm,  the  foolhardy  plan  had  been 
carried  out,  and  the  journey  over  the  inland  ice  from  coast 
to  coast  was  an  accomplished  fact." 

Nansen's  application  to  the  "Collegium  Academicum  " 
for  the  means  to  carry  out  the  expedition  is  dated  Novem- 
ber II,  1887.  The  very  first  sentence  goes  straight  to 
the  heart  of  the  matter:  "  It  is  my  intention  next^  sum- 
mer to  undertake  a  journey  across  the  inland  ice  of 
Greenland  from  the  east  to  the  west  c  ast."  The  amount 
he  asked  for  was  5,000  crowns  (less  than  300/.).  it  is  so 
infinitesimally  small  in  comparison  with  the  magnitude 
and  importance  of  the  undertaking,  that  one  cannot  speak 
of  it  now  without  a  .,ilc.  But  as  yet  the  project,  was 
only  a  project,  and  the  projector  an  untried  man.  The 
faculty  and  the  council  warmly  recommended  the  scheme 
to  the  Government.     But  the  Government  could  not  see 


42 


^TANSEJV  IN  THE  FJWZEN  WORLD 


Its  way  to  sanctioning  it.     One  of  the  official  organs  was 
unable  to  discover  any  reason  why  the  Norwegian  people 
should  pay  so  large  a  sum  as  300/.  in  order  that  a  private 
individual  might  treat  himself  to  a  pleasure-trip  to  Green- 
land.     And    undoubtedly    the    Government    here   repre- 
sented a  very  large  section  of  the  people.     Two  widely 
different  sides  of  the  Norwegian  character  were  in  this 
case  at  odds.     The  love  of  adventure  is  represented   in 
Nansen,  the  cautiousness,  the  "  canniness,"  of  the  Norwe- 
gian peasant  is  represented  in  the  Ciovernment.     It  is  no 
mere    chance    that    this    300/.   should    have   come   from 
abroad.     For  except  in  scientific  circles,  and  among  the 
young  and  ardent,  the  general  opinion  certainly  was  that 
Nansen's  undertaking  was  only  worthy  of  a  madman  — 
though  no  one  actua'^y  x^'ent  so  far  as  to  have  him  locked 
up,  like  the  man  in  Jie  London  madhouse  whom  Nansen 
is  so  fond  of  citing.     A  comic  paper  in   Bergen  inserted 
the  following  advertisement :  — 

Notice.  -  In  the  month  of  June  next,  Curator  Nansen  will  j^ive  a  snow-shoe 
display,  with  long  jumps,  on  the  inland  ice  of  (ireenland.  Reserved  seats  in 
the  crevasses.     Return  ticket  unnecessary. 

And  in  private  conversation  the  affair  was  taken  much 
in  the  same  way,  xxhen  it  was  not  regarded  from  a  more 
serious  point  of  view,  by  people  who  thought  it  sinful  to 
give  open  support  to  a  suicide. 

Nor  was  it  only  the  outside  public  that  held  these 
opmions.  Previous  explorers  of  Greenland,  who  might  be 
supposed  to  know  the  local  conditions,  characterized  the 
plan  as  absolutely  visionary.  Nansen  has  himself  reprinted 
in  his  book  a  short  extract  from  a  lecture  delixered  in 
Copenhagen  by  one  of  the  younger  Danish  explorers  of 
Greenland.     He  says :  "  Among  the  few  of  us  who  know 


V 


I 


gans  was 
in  people 
a  private 
o  Green- 
"e   rejDre- 

0  widely 
i  in  this 
snted   in 

■  Norwe- 
It  is  no 
ne  from 
ong  the 
vas  that 
:1m  an  — 

1  locked 
Nansen 
inserted 


snow-shoe 
:d  seats  in 


n  much 
a  more 
inful  to 

1  these 
ight  be 
y-cd  the 
printed 
M-ed  in 
»rers  of 
know 


JVAJVSEJV'S  GREENLAND  EXPEDITION  43 

something  of  the  nature  of  Danish  East  Greenland,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  unless  the  ship  reaches  the  coast  and 
waits  for  him  till  he  is  forced  to  confess  himself  beaten,  it 
is  ten  to  one  that  either  Nansen  will  throw  away  his  own 
life,  and  perhaps  the  lives  of  others,  to  no  purpose;  or 
else  he  will  be  picked  up  by  the  Eskimos,  and  convoyed 
by  them  round  Cape  Farewell  to  the  Danish  stations  on 
the  west  coast.  But  no  one  has  any  right  needlessly  to 
involve  the  East  Greenlanders  in  a  long  journey,  which 
must  be  in  many  respects  injurious  to  them." 

It  was,  however,  from  Denmark  that  the  requisite  finan- 
cial assistance  came.  Professor  Amund  Helland,  who  had 
him'^elf  been  in  Greenland,  had  strongly  advocated  the 
plan  m  the  "  Dagblad  "  of  November  24,  1887.  "After 
the  experiences  of  others  on  the  inland  ice,"  he  says,  "  and 
after  what  I  myself  have  seen  of  it,  I  cannot  see  why 
young  and  courageous  snow-shoers,  under  an  intelligent 
and  cautious  leader,  should  not  have  every  prospect  of 
reaching  t,ie  other  side,  if  only  the  equipment  be  care- 
fully adapted  to  the  peculiar  conditions.  ...  All  things 
carefully  considered,  I  believe  there  is  every  likelihood 
that  competent  snow-shoers  should  be  able  to  manage 
this  journey  without  running  any  such  extreme  risks  as 
should  make  the  expedition  inadvisable.  Those  who 
have  travelled  some  distance  on  the  inland  ice  of  Green- 
land number,  at  present,  about  twenty  men,  and  not  a 
single  life  has  been  lost  in  these  attempts." 

As  a  result  of  this  article.  Professor  Helland  was  able 
to  announce  to  the  "Collegium  Academicum,"  on  Jan- 
uary 12,  1 888,  that  Mr.  Augustin  Gamel,  of  Copenhagen, 
had  offered  to  provide  the  5,000  crowns. 

Nansen  accepted  the  generous  offer.     Afterwards,  when 


If    n     n 


44 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


all  was  happily  over,  people   criticised  this  action.     He 
ought  to  have  waited  patiently  till  the  money  turned  up 
somewhere  in  Norway.     This  wisdom  after  the  event  is 
foolish  enough.     It  ignores  the  actual  facts  of  the  situ- 
ation.    Nansen    had  made    up    his  mind  to  pay  for  the 
whole  enterprise  out  of  his  own  pocket ;  no  one  in  Norway 
showed  the  slightest   eagernt  s  to  prevent  his  doing  so. 
And,  with  all  his  self-reliance,  he  could  not,  at  that  time, 
regard  the  realization  of  his  idea  as  a  privilege  that  must 
be  reserved  solely  and  exclusively  for  Norway.     The  situ- 
ation was  quite   different  when,  five  years  later,  with  the 
eyes  of  all  the  world  upon   him,  he  set  out  for  the  North 
Pole.     Then,  indeed,  it  was  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
the  money  as  well  as  the  flag  should  be  Norwegian.     The 
criticism   seems  all   the  emptier  when  we  remember  that 
the  Greenland  Expedition  did  not  cost  5,000  crowns,  but 
more  than  three  times  that  amount,  and  that  Nansen  him- 
self would  have  met  this  deficit  out  of  nis  small  private 
means,  had  not  the  Students'  Society,  after  the  successful 
return  of  the  expedition,  set  on  foot  a  subscription  which 
brought  in  10,000  crowns. 

It  was,  as  Nansen  had  said  to  Dr.  Grieg,  a  hard  spring. 
The  first  six   months   of   1888  passed  in    one  incessant 
rush.     At  the  beginning  of  December,  1887,  he  is  back  in 
Bergen.     At  the  end  of  January,  he  goes  on  snow-shoes 
from    Eidfjord    in    Hardanger,  by   way   of    Numedal,  to 
Kongsberg,  and  thence  to  Christiania.  "  In  March  he  is  in 
Bergen  again,  lecturing  on  nature  and  life  in  Greenland. 
One  day  — or  rather  night  — we  find  him  camping  on 
the  top  of  Blaamanden,  near  Bergen,  to  test  his  sleeping- 
bag,  and  a  week   later  he  is  on   the  rostrum   in   Chris- 
tiania giving  his  first  trial  lecture  for  his  doctor's  degree. 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND  EXPEDITION 


45 


on  the  structure  of  the  sexual  organs  in  the  myxine. 
On  April  28  he  defends  his  doctoral  thesis :  "  The  Nerve 
Elements :  their  structure  and  connection  in  the  central 
nervous  system  "  —  and  on  May  2  he  sets  off  for  Copen- 
hagen, on  his  way  to  Greenland.  "  I  would  rather  take 
a  bad  degree  than  have  a  bad  outfit,"  he  used  to  say  to 
Dr.  Grieg  in  those  days.  He  succeeded  in  getting  both 
good,  but  only  by  straining  every  nerve.  On  the  one 
hand,  he  had  his  scientific  reputation  to  look  to;  on  the 
other,  his  own  life  and  the  lives  of  five  brave  men ;  for  he 
was  fully  convinced  that,  of  all  the  dangers  which  were 
pointed  out  to  him,  the  most  serious  by  far  was  the  danger 
of  a  defective  outfit.  On  the  outfit,  more  than  on  any- 
thing else,  depended  victory  or  defeat,  life  or  death. 

It  was  in  the  January  nuriber  of  the  periodical  "  Natu- 
ren  "  (1888)  that  he  for  the  first  time  made  a  public  state- 
ment of  his  plan.  He  explains  that,  by  striking  inland 
from  the  east  coast,  he  will  need  to  cross  Greenland  only 
once.  It  is  true  that  by  this  course  retreat  is  cut  off. 
"The  inhospitable  coast,  inhabited  only  by  scattered 
tribes  of  heathen  Eskimos,  is  by  no  mea^-s  an  enviable 
winter  residence  to  fall  back  upon  in  the  event  of  our 
encountering  unforeseen  obstacles  in  the  interior;  but  the 
less  tempting  the  line  of  retreat,  the  stronger  will  be  the 
incentive  to  push  on  with  all  our  might."  This  is  one  of 
the  essential  points  of  the  plan  — all  bridges  are  to  be 
broken.  Here  we  see  the  irresistible  self-confidence  of 
genius  —  its  triumphant  faith  in  its  power  to  reach  the 
goal.  The  thing  that  presents  itself  to  ordinary  prudence 
as  the  first  necessity,  namely,  a  safe  and  easy  line  of  re- 
treat, genius  regards  rather  as  a  hindrance  and  a  thing  to 
be  avoided. 


I 


46  NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

"  Setzet  Ihr  nicht  das  Leben  ein, 
Nie  wird  euch  das  Leben  gewonnen  sein." 

We  will  not  here  dwell  upon  the  other  features  of  the 
plan   because  in  all  essentials  it  was  carried  out  as  pro- 
jected;  and  the  modifications  which  proved  necessary  are 
sufficiently  well  known  through  Nansen's  own  account  of 
the  expedition.     It  will  be  remembered  how  they  were 
caught    m    the   drift    ice,   carried  down    almost   to  the 
southern  point  of  Greenland,  and  then  had  to  fight  their 
way  abonously  north  again.     It  will  be  remembered,  too 
that  they  did  not  strike  inland,  as  they  intended,  north  of 
Cape  Dan,  but  a  good  way  f.,rther  south,  and   that  they 
reached   the  west  coast,  not,  as  contemplated,  on  Disco 
Bay  near  Chnstianshaab,  but  at  the  Ameralikfjord  near 
Godthaab.     These   alterations  are  important   enough  in 
them,,elves,  but  inessential  in  relation  to  the  main  object 
1  he  plan  itself  having  been  set  forth,  the  article  proceeds 
to  enumerate  the  scientific  problems  which  may  be  solved 
or  brought  nearer  to  a  solution  by  a  journey  across  the 
mland  ice.     Nansen  concludes  by  quoting  Nordenskjold's 
words  m  the  preface  to  his  book,  "The  Second  Dickson 
Expedition  to  Greenland : "    ••  The  investigation  of  the  un- 
known  interior  of  Greenland   is  fraught  with  such   mo- 
mentous issues  for  science  that  at  present  one  car    .ardly 

exTrer  "  *'"'""'''"'  ^^  '"^  """  ''"''^''P""'^  °f  *e  Arctic 

Nansen  was  himself  fully  conscious  of  the  great  scien- 
tific import  of  the  journey  he  was  about  to  take 

For  the  rest,  this  expedition  rec|,.ired  in  its  leader  a 
quite  unusual  combination  of  qualities:  an  adventurous 
.magmation  to  conceive  it,  a  Viking-like  hardihood  to 
carry  ,t  through,  strenuous  physical  training  throughout 


V  w  r 


II     '     :| 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND  EXPEDITION 


47 


childhood  and  youth  to  enable  him  to  face  its  fatigues, 
and  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  science  in  order  to  make 
the  most  of  the  opportunities  it  afforded.  And  even  more 
was  required.  This  young  man,  whose  fame  as  yet  rested 
entirely  upon  an  unfulfilled  idea,  had  to  take  command  of 
a  little  group  of  "brave  men  who  all  risked  their  lives  ex- 
actly as  he  did,  and  among  whom  were  some  who  them- 
selves had  held  command.  This  was  not  a  company  of 
soldiers  to  be  ofiicered  as  a  matter  of  course ;  it  required  a 
special  tact,  a  peculiar  instmct,  to  bear  one  s  self  as  primus 
inter  pares.  With  all  h'  oroud  self-confidence,  Nansen 
had  just  this  insHnct.  It  .-rings  in  part,  no  doubt  from 
a  strain  of  gentleness  in  his  character,  but  may  on  the 
whole  be  regarded  as  simply  another  manifestation  of  his 
singular  knack  of  doing  the  right  thing  at  precisely  the 
right  moment.  He  had  been  too  early  intent  on  ends  of 
his  own  to  develop  what  one  would  call  a  specially  social 
disposition.  "  He  is  something  of  a  soloist,"  one  of  his 
friends  writes  to  us,  "  steadfast  towards  those  to  whom  he 
really  attaches  himself ;  but  they  are  not  many."  He  is 
too  absorbed  in  his  work.  He  is  not  expansive,  in  the 
sense  of  feeling  any  inborn  craving  to  make  friends.  But 
now,  in  the  moment  of  need,  the  unaffected  geniality  of 
his  temperament  comes  out  quite  naturally  in  his  relation 
to  those  who  have  had  the  courage  and  the  insight  to 
place  their  trust  in  him.  Given  another  personality  than 
his,  the  whole  undertaking  would  not  improbably  have 
gone  to  wreck,  with  the  most  disastrous  consequences. 
If  it  had  been  simply  a  question  of  mechanical  discipline, 
the  spirit  of  revolt  might  easily  have  arisen  in  the  course 
of  these  indescribable  hardships,  and  ruined  everything. 
As  it  was,  all  were  agreed  that,  though  discussion  should 


48 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


of  course  be  free,  one  must  have  the  decisive  voice.     But 
that  one  was  of  no  higher  rank   than   the  others   when 
there  was  work  to  be  done  or  hunger  to  be  endured  ;  and 
It  was  this  complete  equahty  that  formed  the  strono-est 
bond  of  union.    Stories  have  been  invented  as  to  the  dela- 
tions between  the  six  Greenland  explorer's,  some  of  them 
of  a  dark  and  almost  tragic  tenor.     We  are  able  to  state 
on  the  best  authority  that  all  these  legends,  from  first  to 
last,  are  the  product  of  popular  imagination,  which,  after 
the  tremendous  enthusiasm  over  Nansen's  return,  neces- 
sarily underwent  a  reaction. 

The  men  who  accompanied  Nansen  were  Captain  Otto 
Neumann  Sverdrup,  born  October  31,  1855,  in  Bindalen  • 
Lieutenant    Oluf    Christian    Dietrichson,    born    May   31 
1H56,  ,n  Skogn,   near  Levanger ;  Christian   Christiansen 
Irana,  born  February  16,  1865,  at  the  farm  of  Trana.  near 
Stenkjcer;  besides   the   two    Lapps,    Samuel   Johannesen 
Balto,   aged    27,   and   Ola  Nilsen   Ravna,  agec^   45.         (i 
these  names  have   become   historical.     To  the  h  st- 

mentioned  in  particular  a  great  share  in  the  crtJ'V        ne 
expedition  is  due.     The  whole  civilized  world  is  indebted 
to  them,    and    Nansen    most   of   all.     •'  People  are   very 
ready,"  he  says  in   the  preface  to  "  The  First  Crossing  of 
Greenland,"  "  to  heap  the  whole  blame  of  an  unsuccessful 
expedition,  but  also  the  whole  honor  of  a  successful  one 
upon  the  shoulders   of  the   leader.     This   is  particularly 
unfair  m  the  case  of  such  an  expedition  as  the  present 
vvhere  the   result   depends  on   absolutely  no  one  falling 
short,  on  every  one  filling  his  place  entirely  and  at  every 
point."  ^ 

For  the  lives  of  all  these  men  Nansen  had  now  assumed 
the  responsibility,  so  far  as  the  planning  and  management 


i« 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND  EXPEDITION  49 

of  the  journey  was  concerned ;  and  his  responsibihty 
began  with  the  outfit.  With  regard  to  this  essential  mat- 
ter, all  the  qualities  we  have  been  dwelling  upon  would 
have  been  of  no  avail  had  he  not  possessed  one  other  of 
the  first  importance.  He  was  accustomed  to  see  things 
for  himself.  He  was  an  observer  not  only  in  the  domain 
of  science,  but  also  in  that  of  practical  life.  As  a  boy,  he 
pulled  the  sewing-machine  to  pieces  to  see  how  it  was 
made,  and  as  a  young  man  he  had  gone  deeply  into  the 
question  of  the  nutritive  value  of  the  various  food-stuffs. 
He  had  an  eminently  practical  and  mechanical  talent ; 
and  he  had  been  born  with  the  instinct  of  the  Youmrest 
Son  in  the  fairy  tale,  for  picking  up  a  magpie's  wing 
whenever  he  came  across  it,  since  you  never  could  tell 
when  it  might  come  in  useful."  No  doubt  he  had  learned 
much  in  his  brief  consultations  with  Nordenskjold,  whose 
numerous  expeditions  had  always  been  conspicuous  for 
their  careful  and  excellent  equipment.  But  the  expedition 
now  in  hand  must  be  set  about  on  an  entirely  original 
plan,  since  they  were  to  have  neither  reindeer  nor  doL^s, 
but  were  themselves  to  be  their  own  beasts  of  burden  and 
drag  evjry  crumb  of  food  and  every  instrament.  Now 
was  the  time  to  act  up  to  the  Nansen  motto,  "  To  require 
little."  The  thing  was  to  ascertain  what  food-stuffs  com- 
bine a  maximum  of  nourishment  with  a  minimum  Of 
weight ;  and  equally  important  was  the  consideration  of 
the  means  of  transport  to  be  employed.  The  lightness 
of  everything  was  the  cardinal  point  which  distinguished 
the  Nansen  expedition  from  all  others.  Lightness  became 
a  study,  an  art.  Nansen  brooded  on  the  problem  by  day, 
and  dreamed  of  it  at  night.  Like  Macbeth,  he  was 
liaunted  with  visions  of  insubstantial  tollcktiivs  (sheath 
knives). 


5° 


NAiVSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Everything  was  minutely  criticised,  from  the  raw  mate- 
rial up  to  the  finished  product.  Many  of  the  most  impor- 
tant articles  Nansen  desii^fned  for  himself.  From  his 
detailed  description  of  the  outfit  we  reproduce  in  a  few 
words  the  essential  points ;  Five  specially  constructed 
hand  -  sledges  of  ash,  with  broad  steel  -  plated  runners. 
These  sledges  were  about  9  ft.  6  in.  long  by  i  ft.  8  in. 
broad,  yet  weighed,  with  the  steel  runners,  only  a  little 
over  28  lbs.  They  were  so  excellently  made  that  in  spite 
of  the  tremendous  wear  and  tear  they  were  subjected  to 
not  one  of  them  broke.  Next  came  Norwegian  snow- 
shoes  {ski)  of  the  most  careful  make,  as  well  as  Canadian 
snow-shoes  and  Norwegian  wickerwork  truger.  The  last 
were  used  particularly  in  ascending  the  outer  slope  of 
the  inland  ice,  and  on  wet  snow  where  ski  were  useless. 
The  tent  was  furnished  by  Lieutenant  Ryder,  of  Copen- 
hagen. It  was  just  large  enough  to  accommodate  the 
two  sleeping-bags  side  by  side  upon  the  floor.  The  dress 
of  the  party  consisted  of  a  thin  woollen  vest  and  woollen 
drawers ;  over  the  vest  a  thick  Iceland  jersey ;  and  for 
outer  garments,  jacket,  knickerbockers  and  thick  snow- 
socks  on  the  legs,  all  made  of  Norwegian  homespun.  For 
windy  and  snowy  weather  they  had  an  outer  dress  of  thin 
sail-cloth.  Their  foot-gear  consisted  of  boots  with  j)itched 
seams  and  Lapland  lauparsko,  a  sort  of  moccasin.  On 
their  heads  they  wore  woollen  caps  and  hoods  of  home- 
spun, woollen  gloves  on  their  hands,  and  in  extreme  cold 
an  extra  pair  of  dogskin  gloves.  I'\)r  their  eyes  they  had 
snow-spectacles,  some  of  smoke-colored  glass  with  baskets 
of  steel-wire  network,  some  of  black  wood  with  horizontal 
slits. 

The  provisions  consisted  mainly  of  pcmmican,  meat- 


NANSEATS  GREENLAND  EXPEDITION 


S» 


powder  chocolate,  calf-liver  pate,  a  Swedish  biscuit  known 
as  kn'dkkcbrod,  meat  biscuits,  butter,  dried  halibut,  a  little 
cheese,  pea-soup  powder,  chocolate,  and  condensed  milk. 
They  took  tw^o  double-barrelled  guns  for  replenishing 
their  larder.  The  cooking  apparatus  was  a  spirit-burning 
contrivance  devised  by  Nansen  and  a  chemist  named 
Schmelck,  upon  which  they  expended  much  labor.  No 
spirits  for  consum^  on ;  some  tea,  a  little  coffee,  a  little 
tobacco.  On  the  other  hand,  an  abundance  of  scientific 
instruments.  And,  to  complete  the  list,  tarpaulins,  which 
on  the  inland  ice  were  sometimes  used  as  sails ;  bamboo 
poles;  and  a  quantity  of  tool'  and  small  necessaries  of 
various  kinds  from  matches  and  a  few  candles  down  to 
darning-needles  —  everything  of  course  as  light  as  pos- 
sible. 

In  only  one  single  respect  did  this  equipment  prove 
inadequate.  The  pemmican,  which  should  have  been  the 
staple  of  their  diet,  had  in  the  course  of  manufacture 
been  deprived  of  all  fat,  and  Nansen  did  not  discover  the 
fact  until  the  last  moment.  The  result  was  that  they  suf- 
fered after  a  while  from  "fat-hunger,  of  which  no  one  who 
has  not  experienced  it  can  form  any  idea."  Even  during 
the  last  days,  when  they  had  as  much  dried  meat  as  they 
wanted,  they  did  not  feel  satisfied. 

How  easy  it  would  have  been  in  this  terra  iiicopiita 
for  the  outfit  to  have  fallen  short  in  other  respects !  For 
one  thing,  no  one  in  the  least  foresaw  that  the  expedition 
would,  at  this  time  of  the  year,  be  exposed  to  such  severe 
cold  as  was  found  to  prevail  on  the  inland  ice.  It  was  a 
new  and  unknown  meteorological  phenomenon  which  the 
expedition  encountered.  If  Nansen  had  chosen  woollen 
sleeping  bags  instead  of  those  of  reindeer-skin,  which  he 


I 


S' 


A'AJfSEJV  IN  THE  FJiOZEN  WORLD 


at  last  determined  on,  he  and  his  comrades,  as  he  himself 
admits,  would  scarcely  have  reached  the  weft  coast  alive 

Yes,  a  great  deal  might  have  happened  ;  but  luck  was 
on  Nansen  s  s.do.  His  good  genius  was  very  active  in  all 
that  concerned  this,  his  first  great  undertaking.  But  in 
the  last  analysis,  no  doL.bt,  the  man  who  has  "the  luck 
on  h,s  s,de  ••  is  he  who  shows  capacity,  foresight,  genius 
and  does  not  pit  himself  against  forces  which  are  in  the 
nature  of  thmgs  unconquerable. 

We  cannot  conclude  these  lines  on  the  preparations  for 
the  Greenland  expedition  without  nientionincr  that  Nan- 
sen  was  ,n  constant  communication  with  oneW  the  most 
notable  of  the  explorers  of  Greenland,  Dr.  H    Rink     One 
service  that  Rink  certainly  rendered   him  was   to 'throw 
into   strong  relief  the  perils  of  the  expedition,  althou<di 
there  were  moments  when   the  enfeebled  and   nervously 
conscientious  old  man  reproached  himself  with  not  havino- 
dwelton  them  sufficiently.     ''Rink  at  first  regarded  the 
plan,     his  wife  writes  to  us.  "as  a  mere  romantic  fancy 
1  he  more  he  pondered  over  it,  and  the  more  he  became 
attached  to  the  man  who  was  to  carry  it  out,  the  more 
perilous  did  ,t  become  in  his  eyes,  until  at  last  he  blamed 
himself  severely  for  not  having,  in  the  course  of  all  their 
discussions,  painted   in  strong  enough  colors  the  dangers 
to  which    he  beliexed  the  expedition  would   be  exposed 
So,  expressly  on   this  account,  we  invited   Nansen  to  pay 
us  another  visit.     That  evening  w.    spent  for  the  most 
part  in  looking  at  pictures  of  Greenland,  in  a  quieter  and 
more  serious  frame  of  mind,  on   the  whole,  than  on  pre- 
vious occasions,  when  there  had  been  a  vast   amount  of 
jesting  over  the  chances  (cannibalism  not  excepted)  that 
might  befall  the  expedition  on  the  ice  fields.     On  these 


s  himself 
at  alive, 
luck  was 
ive  in  all 
But  in 
;he  luck 
,  genius, 
2  in  the 

ions  for 
at  Nan- 
le  most 
^.    One 
'   throw- 
though 
rvously 
havinsr 
ed  the 
fancy. 
)ecame 
;  more 
)lamecl 
I  their 
mgers 
posed. 

0  pay 
most 

!r  and 

1  pre- 
mt  of 
)  that 
these 


JVAJVS£JVS   GJiEENLAND  MXPEDITION  j- 

occasions  everybody  used  to  laugh  very  heartily,  except 
K.nk.     And  I  reme„,ber  I  had  to  bear  all  the  blame  o 
tli]s  unseemly  conduct  after  the  party  broke  up  " 

In   Rink's   house,  too,  they    used   to   take  lessons   in 
Eskimo,  when  time  permitted.     Sverdrup  tried  it  first  • 
but  he  could  not  get  his  tongue  round  the  Greenland' 
.d.om.     D.etnchson  was  good  at  it,     ••  Curiously  enoueh  " 
«r.tes  Mrs    Rink,  -.had  pitched  upon  these  tlo  asAe 
predcst„,ed    spokesmen  of   the  expedition,  and  did   not 
offer  to  pve  Nansen  any  lessons.     Whereupon  he  said 
ns  though  a  httle  hurt:  'Mayn't  I  try  too?'-and  he 
went  at  .t  w.th  the  earnestness  and  perseverance  that  are 
uch  eharmmg  tra.ts  in  his  character.     How  remarkably 

lemser     r    "  '■  "''"^  "1^  ""'  '■^"S"--''-'  "-  Eskimo! 
themselves  bear  witness. 

The  last  evening  Nansen  was  at    Rink's  house,  Mrs 

Rink  accompanied  him  to  the  door.     "  1  .said,"  she  writes,' 

what  had  often  occurred   to  me,  •  You  must  go  to  the 

North   Pole   too,  some  day.'     He  answered  emphatically, 

as  though  he  had  long  ago  made  up  his  mind  on  the 

point,  •  I  mean  to.' " 


I 


CHRISTIANSHN 


UIETRICHSON  SVERDRUF 

THE    MEMUKRS    OF   THE    CJREENI.AND    EXPEDITION 


CHAPTER    IV 


ACROSS    GREENLAND 


I  m 


£i  a^ 


On  May  2,  188S,  Nansen  started  from  Christiania,  by 
way  of  Copenhagen  and  London,  for  Leith,  where  he 
was  to  meet  the  rest  of  the  party,  who  had  gone,  witli 
the  whole  outfit,  from  Christiansand  direct  to  Scotland. 

From  Scotland  they  proceeded  to  Iceland  by  the 
Danish  steamer  Thyra.  Not  until  June  4  did  they  join 
the  sealer  Jason  (Captain  M.  Jacobsen),  which  was  to 
carry  them  over  to  the  cast  coast  of  Greenland  —  under 
the  express  stij)ulation,  however,  that  the  vessel  should 
not  be  hindered  in  its  scaling  operations  for  the  sake  of 
landing  the  party. 


ACROSS  GREENLAND 


55 


On  Monday,  June  ii,  they  had  their  first  glimpse  of 
the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  sighting  the  high  rugged 
peaks  north  of  Cape  Dan  at  about  the  latitude  where,  in 
1883,  Nordenskjold  had  succeeded  in  getting  through 
the  drift  ice  with  the  Sophia.  The  ice  belt  between  the 
vessel  and  the  coast  proved,  however,  to  be  still  so  wide 
(from  nine  to  ten  miles  of  rough  ice)  as  to  render  any 
attempt  to  reach  the  land  unadvisable  for  the  present. 
They  had  to  wait  about  a  month  for  a  favorable  opportu- 
nity of  leaving  the  Jason,  which  was  bound  to  remain  in 
the  region  where  the  seal-hunting  was  likely  to  be  good. 
Meanwhile,  Nansen  acted  as  "  doctor  "  to  the  whole  fleet 
of  sealers,  and  had  to  possess  his  soul  in  patience  until 
the  sealing  season  was  practically  over. 

Finally,  on  the  morning  of  July  17,  the  Jason  was  so 
near  land  (about  2\  miles  from  the  coast  near  Sermi- 
Hkfjord,  at  65]°  N.  lat.)  that  Nansen  determined  to  force 
a  passage  through  the  comparatively  narrow  belt  of  drift 
ice. 

The  boat  belonging  to  the  expedition,  and  a  smaller 
one  which  the  captain  of  the  Jason  had  placed  at  their 
disposal,  were  therefore  lowered,  the  baggage  packed  and 
stowed  in  the  boats,  and  every  preparation  promptly 
made.  At  7  \\  m.  all  was  ready  for  a  start.  Nansen  went 
up  into  the  crow's-nest  for  a  last  survey  of  the  course, 
and  saw  plainly,  with  the  aid  of  the  glass,  a  belt  of  open 
water  between  the  drift  ice  and  the  shore. 

"  We  are  taking  to  our  boats  with  the  firmest  hope  of 
a  successful  issue  to  our  enterprise,"  Nansen  wrote  in  a 
letter  to  the  "  Morgenblad  "  hastily  scribbled  at  the  last 
moment. 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  their  hopefulness  was,  at  the 


S6 


NANS  EN  IX  THE  EROZEN  WORLD 


i 


very  outset,  to  be  put  to  a  severe  test.     After  they  had 
tried    the  whole  night    long,   in    storm  and   rain,  to   o-ct 
through  the  drift  ice  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Sermilik- 
fjord,  the  ice  became  so  packed  by  the  current  that    in 
the  early  morning,  they  had  to  drag  their  boats  up  on 'the 
floes.     One  of  the  boats  was  injured  by  the  pressure  of 
the  ice,  so  that  it  had  to  be  repaired  in  hot  haste  •  and 
dunng  the  short  time  lost  in  doing  this  they  were  cau-ht 
in  a  strong  southerly  current,  and  swept  seaward  agtin 
at  a  great  speed.     At  six  o'clock  on  the  19th  they  found 
that  they  were  already  twice  as  far  from   land  as  when 
they  had  left  the  shijD. 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  drift  south^^•ard  with 
the  ice  until  an  opportunity  should  offer  of  gettino-  in 
under  the  land  afjain.  * 

For  ten  days  the  expedition  drifted  along  the  cast  coast 
of  ^Greenland  as  far  down  as  the  island  of  Kudtlek,  61° 
40'  N.  lat.,  at  an  average  rate  of  nearly  six  knots  in  the 
tnenty-four  hours.  Quite  apart  from  the  very  serious 
dangers  to  which  Nansen  and  his  comrades  were  exposed 
during  this  drift  voyage,  the  expedition  was  carried  a  long 
way  from  its  ]3rojected  starting-point,  and  had  lost  a  great 
deal  of  very  precious  time.  It  was  not  till  July  -^g'that 
they  succeeded  in  setting  foot  on  dry  land,  and' thus  the 
best  part  of  the  summer  was  alread)^  gone. 

Nansen  has  given  a  vivid  description  of  this  intercstincr 
drift  voyage,  and  of  life  on  the  ice  floe,  which,  tossed  abou" 
by  the  wax-es  and  breakers,  and  repeatedly  cracked  and 
broken,  was  yet  the  abiding-place  of  the  expedition  during 
all  these  days.'  With  the  mountains  of  the  coast  so  near 
that  m  bright  weather  they  could  clearly  distinguish  their 

*  For  description,  sec  next  cliapter. 


I'  Bi 


f    >■! 


S8 


NANSEN  JiY  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


outlines,  they  were  steadily  borne  southward,  farther  and 
farther  from  their  goal. 

The  night  of  July  20  might  easily  have  been  their  last. 
The  ice  floe  on  which  they  were  drifting  had  come  right 
out  to  the  verge  of  the  open  sea,  which  was  running  very 
high,  so  that  the  surf  kept  on  washing  over  the  floe  almost 
up  to  the  tent.     Had  the  floe  been  crushed,  they  might 
very  likely  have  found  it  impossible  to  launch  the  boats  in 
such  a  furious  sea,  and  among  the  clashing  masses  of  ice. 
In  any  case  they  could  not  have  saved  more  than  one  of 
the  boats,  and  the  most  indispensable  part  of  the  provi- 
sions  and   equipment.      One    scarcely   knows   which    to 
admire  the  most,  —  Sverdrup,  who  kept  the  night  watch, 
pacing  calm  and  composed,  with  his  quid  in  his  cheek,  up 
and  down  the  floe,  between  the  tent  and  the  boats,  many 
times  on  the  point  of  loosening  the  hooks  of  the  tent-flap 
to  make  them  all  turn  out,  but  always  staying  his  hand ; 
or  Nansen  and  Dietrichson,  who  lay  quietly  asleep  in  the 
tent,  while  the  surf  roared  and  rattled  the  ice-brash  over 
the  rocking  floe,  and  swept  ever  nearer  and  nearer  until  it 
lapped  the  very  edge  of  the  tent.     But  just  as  the  outlook 
was  blackest,  the  floe  suddenly  changed  its  course,  headed 
shoreward  once  more  "  as  if  guided  by  an  unseen  hand," 
and  was  soon  in  safer  waters. 

Nansen  and  his  companions  had  a  hard  time  of  it 
during  these  perilous,  exciting  days  on  the  ice  floe.  They 
did  not  so  much  mind  their  toil  in  the  rain  and  surf,  fruit- 
lessly striving  to  force  a  passage  through  openings  in  the 
ice  pack ;  they  did  not  so  much  mind  their  scanty  diet  of 
raw  horse-flesh,  etc.  (the  cooking  apparatus  was  only  once 
lighted  during  their  days  of  drifting);  they  did  not  so 
much  mind  the  dange/s  that  threatened  them  on  every 


ACJ^OSS   GREENLAND 


59 


hand ;  but  they  dreaded  the  prospect  of  having  to  give  up 
for  that  season  the  journey  across  the  inland  ice.  These 
wasted  days  were  trying  days  indeed. 

When    the    news    of    the    success    of    the    expedition 
reached    Stockhohn,    Nordenskjold    pointed    out,    as    the 
strongest  proof  of  the  admirable  energy  displayed  during 
the  entire  journey,  that  when  at  last  they  had  got  through 
the  belt  of  drift   ice  they   instantly  set  to  work   to  row 
northward  again,  in  order  to  reach  the  proper  point  for 
attacking  the  ice  sheet.     They  had,  in  a  way,  made  an 
unfortunate  and  discouraging  start.     It  was  already  well 
on  in  the  summer,  the  supply  of  provisions  was  not  over- 
abundant, and  —  civilization  was,  moreover,  within  tempt- 
ingly easy  reach.     They  were  now  only  i8o  miles  from 
the  nearest  colony,  Frederiksdal,  while  the  Sermilikfjord, 
the  starting-point  originally  fixed  upon,  was  nearly  twice 
as  distant.     The  mere  fact  of  their  resisting  the  tempta- 
tion to  put  off  till  the  following  year  may  be  called  truly 
heroic;    not    many   would    have    shown   such    resolution. 
But  for  them  the  temptation  was  no  temptation  at  all.     It 
did  not  enter  their  thoughts  that  there  was  anything  to 
be  done  except  to  head  the  boats  northward  as  quickly 
as  possible.     And  it  was  not  with  anxious  fear,  but  with 
radiant  joy,  that  they  now  saw  a  clear  water-way  before 
them. 

The  first  problem,  that  of  getting  through  the  drift  ice 
with  whole  skins,  was  thus  solved  —  with  great  labor,  it  is 
true,  and  loss  of  precious  time,  but  nevertheless  solved. 
It  had  been  prophesied  that  even  this  would  prove  im- 
l^racticable  ;  for  a  long  series  of  vain  attempts  had  shown 
that  it  was  next  thing  to  impossible  to  penetrate  the  ice 
belt  south  of  the  sixty-sixth  degree  of  latitude.     Not  until 


6o 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WOULD 


fil 


1883  had  Nordenskjold,  with  the  steamer  Sophia,  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  coast  near  Cape  Dan  (King  Oscar's 
Haven).  So  much  the  more  daring  was  it  on  Nansen's 
part  to  make  the  attempt. 

But  now  the  thing  was  to  make  all  speed  northward. 
The  best  of  the  summer  was  gone.  If  they  were  to  have 
any  chance  of  reaching  the  west  coast  that  year,  they 
must  go  at  it  in  earnest.  And  they  did  go  at  it  in 
earnest. 

On  the  day  of  their  landing  at  Kekertarsuak  they  had 
a  lordly  repast  of  hot  chocolate  and  extra  rations  of  oat 
cake,  Swiss  cheese,  mysost  (goat's  milk  cheese),  and  cran- 
berry jam,  to  celebrate  their  landing ;  but  after  that  their 
meals  consisted  of  cold  water,  biscuits,  and  dried  beef  — 
they  could  not  waste  time  in  cooking  until  they  had  in 
some  measure  made  up  what  they  had  lost  in  the  ice 
drift.  It  was  a  toilsome  journey  by  boat  iiorthward  along 
the  coast.  For  long  distances  they  had  to  exert  all  their 
strength  to  force  the  ice  floes  apart  in  order  to  get  the 
boats  through  the  narrow  channels  between  them ;  and 
sometimes  they  had  to  drag  the  boats  over  the  ice,  skirt- 
ing the  low  barren  coast,  with  glaciers  and  snow-fields 
coming  right  down  to  the  margin  of  the  sea.  They  got 
safely  past  the  dreaded  glacier  Puisortok  (near  it,  at  Cape 
Bille,  they  came  upon  an  encampment  of  heathen  Eski- 
mos, of  which  Nansen  has  given  a  highly  interesting 
description),^  and  they  forced  their  way  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  through  a  closely  packed  belt  of  drift  ice  south 
of  Ingerkajarfik.  At  Mogens  Heinesens  Fjord  the  appear- 
ance of  the  coast  altered.  From  this  point  northward 
there  is  a  long  stretch  of  bare  coast  land,  with  a  view  of 

*  See  chapter  vi. 


.1 


ACHOSS   GREENLAND  6i 

high  mountain  ranges,  "  summit  on  summit,  and  rank  be- 
hind rank." 

By  dint  of  constant  battling  with  the  drift  ice  and  the 
current,  the  expedition  reached  Nunarsuak  (62°  43'  N. 
lat.)  on  August  3.  From  this  point  they  tried  to  sail,  but 
the  wind  soon  rose  to  a  tempest  which  was  near  proving 
fatal,  for  the  boats  were  on  the  point  of  being  crushed 
between  the  ice  floes,  got  their  oars  and  thole-pins 
smashed,  and  were  separated  into  the  bargain,  it  was  a 
hard  pinch,  but  by  putting  forth  all  their  strength  they 
got  through  it  at  last,  and  the  tent  was  pitched  on  a 
patch  of  soft  greensward  on  G riff enf eld t's  Island,  for  the 
highly  needful  repose  after  an  exhausting  day.  A  feast 
of  splendid  hot  caraway  soup,  "never  to  be  forgotten," 
was  the  reward  for  their  toils. 

On  August  5  the  boats  narrowly  escaped  being 
crushed  by  the  falling  of  a  fragment  of  an  iceberg,  and 
"after  almost  incredible  labor"  they  reached  in  thTeven- 
ing  an  islet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Inugsuarmiutfjord,  where 
they  intended  to  rest  for  the  night.  But  from  here  they 
perceived  that  the  water  was  open  ahead,  the  fjord  lying 
smooth  as  a  mirror;  so  their  rest  had  to  be  adjourned 
Forward  again  !     They  certainly  did  "go  at  it  in  earnest." 

At  Singiartuarfik,  on  August  6,  they  again  fell  in  with 
Eskimos.  Then  northward  again,  now  in  open  water, 
now  fighting  with  drift  ice,  always  on  cold  dry  diet  which 
was  served  out,  moreover,  in  very  scanty  rations.  They 
were  never  really  satisfied,  not  even  directly  after  eating ; 
but  Nansen  said  "  they  had  had  enough,  so  enough  it  had 
to  be,"  as  Christiansen  put  it.  To  the  Lapps,  wF.o  natu- 
rally had  no  very  clear  notion  beforehand  of  what  they 
had   embarked   upon,  this   perpetual    fighHng  with   drift 


Ill 


62 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


I 


ice,  and  fasting  on  top  of  it,  began  to  seem  rather  de- 
pressing. 

The  coast  now  became  less  precipitous  again,  and  tlie 
mountain  contours  rounder,  and  the  explorers  began  to 
tlunk  of  landing  and  beginning  their  journey  proper. 
On  August  8  they  reached  Bernstorff's  Fjord  (Kangerd- 
lugsuak)  at  about  631°  N.  lat.  The  fjord  was  brimful  of 
glacier  ice,  many  of  the  huge  icebergs  rising  out  of  the 
water  to  a  height  of  over  two  hundred  feet  (six  or  seven 
times  as  much  being  under  water),  and  running  to  a  mile 
or  so  in  breadth,  sometimes  flat-topped,  sometimes  jutting 
forth  into  the  most  fantastic  peaks,  pinnacles,  and  crests. 
These  colossal  masses  were  so  .'inumerabie  that  they 
threatened  to  bar  all  advance.  From  the  top  of  one  of 
them  the  eye  ranged  over  an  "  Alpine  world  of  floating 
ice." 

At  last  chinks  were  discovered  even  in  this  barrier  — 
open  channels  "with  a  narrow  strip  of  sky  visible  between 
high  walls  of  ice."  And  "although  huge  icebergs  more 
than  once  collapsed,  or  capsized  with  a  mighty  crash,  and 
set  up  a  violent  sea-way,"  here,  too,  they  at  last  got  out  of 
their  difficulties  for  the  moment.  That  night  they  slept 
in  the  sleeping-bags  only,  upon  a  rock  so  small  that  there 
was  not  room  to  pitch  the  tent. 

In  a  more  and  more  open  water-way  tliey  pressed  on 
northward,  with  masses  of  ice  breaking  off  from  the 
glaciers  and  icebergs  on  every  side.  On  August  9,  while 
they  were  in  the  act  of  forcing  asunder  two  floes,  among 
a  number  of  icebergs,  a  huge  piece  of  an  iceberg  fell 
down  with  a  mighty  crash  upon  the  floe  they  were  stand- 
ing on,  smashing  it  and  violently  churning  up  the  sea. 
"  I  lad  we  gone  to  that  side  a  few  moments  earlier,  as  we 


'^^\  \.  .- 


ACROSS   GREENLAND  g 

originally  intended,  we  should  ahaost  certainly  have  been 
crushed  to  death.     It  was  the  third  tin:e  such  a  thin,  had 
happened  to  us,"  Nansen  says  in  his  account  of  the  expe- 
dition, characteristically  describing  it  as  "an  odd  occur- 
rence       Well  may  it  be  called  "  odd  " !     How  does  it  hap- 
pen that  some  men  come  safe  and  sound  through  all  such 
adventures ;  go  voyages  on  ice  floes  and  sleep  undisturbed 
while  the  surf  is  on  the  point  of  breaking  up  the  fragile 
barrier  between  them  and  •  <ernity;  row  in  boats  under 
toppling  icebergs,  and  get  clear  of  them  two  minutes  be- 
fore they  fall ;  plump  into  fissures  in  the  inland  ice  at  the 
very  points  where   their  arms  and  their  alpenstod-s  can 
save  them;  row  for  days  in  dangerous  waters  in  nutshell 
boats  improvised  out  of  sail-cloth,  and  get  in  just  in  time 
to  escape  storms  and  certain  destruction ;  sleep  on  the  ice 
in  a  temperature  of  -45°  C.  (-490  Pahr.)  without  frcezincr 
to  death ;  fall  into  the  ice-cold  water  half  a  score  of  times 
not  only  without  drowning,  but  without  so  much  as  taking 
cold;  lead  a  dog's  life  of  toil  and  hunger  for  months  at  a 
stretch,  and  come  out  none  the  worse  for  it;  while  others 
-  alas !  one  has  no  heart  to  insist  on  the  contrast.     But 
truly  It  may  well  be  called  "odd"! 

Let  us  admit  that  ninety-nine  hundredths  of  this  "devil's 
-wn  hick  "  is  due  to  having  an  eye  on  every  finger,  so  to 
speak  -  IS  due  to  the  sound  mind  in  the  sound  body- 
to  the  alert  capacity  of  genius- to  the  indomitable  energy 
of  the  man  with  a  vocation.  Granted  all  this,  how  are  we 
to  account  for  the  remaining  hundredth  ? 

These  Greenland  explorers  are  in  league  with  destiny  f 
V^  hen  Njaal  and  his  sons  were  hard  bestead,  Njaal  would 
have  had  th^  ,n  give  in  ;  and  one  of  the  sons  agreed  with 
him  that  that  was  "  the  best  thev  rould  do  "     W 


they 


hercup 


on 


64 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Skarphedin  answered  :  "  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,  for  now 
he  is  fey."  The  Saga-man  would  have  us  understand  that 
he  who  is  "  fey,"  who  is  marked  for  death,  has  no  longer 
complete  control  of  his  will  and  his  intelligence. 

These  young  men  were  not  "  fey  "  in  any  sense  of  the 
word.^ 

They  now  pressed  forward  in  tolerably  open  water  past 
the  glacier-bound  coast  near  Gyldenlove's  Fjord  and  Col- 
berger  Heidc,  and  at  last,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 
of  August  lo,  in  a  thick  fog,  they  made  their  final  land- 
ing on  the  north  side  of  Umiviksfjord.  They  were  now 
done  with  the  boats,  and  were  overjoyed  to  haul  them  up 
on  land,  Nansen  meanwhile  making  the  coffee  "  for  the 
second  hot  meal  in  twelve  days." 


m 


I 


.( 


After  Nansen  and  Sverdrup  had  assured  themselves,  by 
a  laborious  reconnaissance  on  August  1 1,  that  it  was  pos- 
sible to  make  the  ascent  of  the  inland  ice  from  Umivik, 
the  following  days  were  devoted  to  all  kinds  of  repairs 
of  foot-gear,  sledge-runners,  etc.,  the  final  packing  of  the 
^''^^^J^'^K*-''  ''^'ifl'  ''"i  short,  the  most  careful  j)reparation  for 
the  jour;  y  that  lay  before  them.  During  all  these  days 
the  weather  was  mild  and  calm,  with  a  great  deal  of  rain 
—  weather  in  which  it  would  not  in  any  case  have  been 
advisable  to  make  a  start. 

At  last,  at  nine  in  the  evening  on  Angus*"  lo,  every- 
thing was  in  order  for  the  ascent.  The  bagga'^e  was 
stowed  on  four  sledges,  each  carrying  about  220  lbs.,  and 
a  fifth,  somewhat  larger  sledge,  carrying  about  double  that 
amount.  This  last  was  therefore  drawn  by  two  men, 
Nansen  and  Sverdrup. 

•  'Ihc  word  in   Mie  (iriginal  is  "  feig,"  which   means  not  niilv  "  f.'v,"   but 
"  cowardly." 


ACJiOSS   GREENLAND  g 

.Jsi'r:,' "  ""V",  T '"''  ■^'^'•■P'  ™ ''-' "--  p- 

mvTt  r      7'         ■  "'""'"«'^  "^"^y  -^^  fi'-^'   travelled  by 
n.ght,   he  .surface  was  soft.     The  ice  was  full  of  crevles 

cmss  t  em.     It  ramed  a  good  deal,  too,  so  tl,at^hey  wfre 

le ;;:  '."the "'™ ''''  -^"^  ■"■s'^'M.oj,:::: 

<"         17   .  till  the  nmrn.ng  of  the  20th,  the  weather  wis 
-  e.vecrable,  w,th   torrents  of  rai„  and  wind    In      1™ 
was  noth.ng  for  it  but  to  keep  to  the  ten       tI 
"ot  very  agreeable  days,  especially  as  d,        ppl^  r^ 
sons  was  .so  small  that  Nansen  decided  tha  'o,e  n^7' 
day  n„,st  st.ffiee  while  they  were  doing  nothing. 

On  ehe  .oth  they  were  able  to  start  off  ag."in      ,t  was 
fn,gh.fully  slow  going,  „ver  the  steep  stufacc  full  „f  re 
nd  fissures,     (.n    ,1,,,,.,  ,  ,,,„„,  "J    ' 

^'.-,'1   u)  ni.ike  tlu'  snow  firmer      I''ron-i   fU^^.    i 

;r ;:;  X"  ";• "-  --  '"^•y  ^-.n 'd":  ig 

i  He"     :;"'-^^'""7"^  •-»-«'  f'-^  a  burn'. 

;"V'4-;:V::;d::;:t;^r:s,r::; 

lered  later,  -hcse  were  har,l-ear„e<l  drops  ^ 

./.™;,'';C'r\''", •'''"'"  ■''^•'''^'^-  -'"''-•  ■""■■"••"',' 
I'H  .2(1,  tlioy  found  a  fro/.cn  siii-facc      'rii,.x.  „-,.,. 

6 


I 


1 


66 


NAXSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


From  the  24th  onward  they  travelled  by  day.  The 
cold  now  began  to  increase  rapidly.  Nevertheless,  except 
for  a  single  da),  'he  surface  was  still,  as  a  rule,  extremely 
heavy,  on  account  uf  the  loose  snow  into  which  the 
sledges  sank  deep  ;  and  on  the  26th  they  had,  in  addition, 
a  regular  snow-storm.  The  ascent  was  still  so  steep  (a 
crradient,  sometimes,  of  i  in  4)  that  it  would  often  take 
three  men  to  pull  each  sledge,  so  that  they  had  to  cover 
the  <vround  several  times  over.  No  wonder  that  Chris- 
tiansen,  who,  as  a  rule,  never  opened  his  mouth,  should 
have  said  to  Dietrichson  after  one  of  these  return  jour- 
neys :  "  Good  Lord  !  to  think  of  people  being  so  cruel 
to  themselves  as  to  go  in  for  this  sort  of  thing."  The 
expedition  had  then  reached  a  height  of  about  6,000  feet. 

This  weather,  with  wind  and  snow-flurries,  continued 
during  the  following  days.  Although  they  tried  to  make 
use  of  the  wind  by  rigging  uj)  tarpaulin  sails  on  the 
sledges,  they  nevertheless  got  on  so  slowly  that  it  began 
to  dawn  on  Nan  -en  that,  at  this  rate,  there  would  be  small 
prospect  of  reaching  Christianshaab  now  that  the  season 
was  so  far  advanced.  On  the  2Sth,  therefore,  he  deter- 
mined to  take  a  different  direction,  and  steer  due  west,  for 
Godthaab,  or  rather  for  the  shores  of  the  Ameralikfjord 
(64"  10'),  directly  south  of  Godthaab,  a  considerably  nearer 
point  on  the  west  coast.  This  |)roposition  was  received 
with  joy  by  every  one,  and  they  set  off  through  the  snow 
with  the  same  unremitting  toil,  althougli  in  a  slightly  dif- 
ferent direction. 

The  projecting  peaks  (nunataks)  whi(  h,  uj)  to  this  point, 
they  had  ])assc(l  from  time  to  time,  now  (lisai)|)eared  ;  the 
last  ulimpse  ol  bare  rock  was  seen  on  August  31.  After 
that  nothing  but  ii f  and  snow  met  tlieir  view  until  they 
reached  the  west  coast. 


ACJ^OSS   GREENLAND  g 

Still  their  course  lay  steadily  upward.  The  snow-field 
rose  in  long,  gentle  waves,  higher  and  higher  toward  the 
m  tenor. 

For  weeks  they  fought  their  way  inland  in  this  fashion 
one  day  exactly  resembling  another,  and  full  of  endless' 
to,l  from  morning  till  night.      The  surface  of  the  snow 
was  now  smooth  and  even  as  a  mirror,  broken  only  by 
t  .c.  tracks  they  themselves  n,ade  with  their  feet  or  iheir 
siedges.     The  snow,  freqL.ently  fresh-fallen,  was,  as  a  rule 
■ine  and  dry    and  therefore  exceptionally  heavy  to  dra-^ 
the  sledges  through.     The  days  march  under  the.se  con- 
d.t.ons  was  not  long -not  more  than  from  five  to  ten 
".lies,  although  they  were  now  able  to  use  snow-shoes 

As  they  advanced  the  cold  became  n,ore  and  more 
severe.  When  the  weather  was  fine,  indeed,  the  mi<lday 
sun  was  often  quite  oppressive,  and  their  feet  would  4 
uc-t  u,  the  slush  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  .sun  went  down,  tl?ey 
felt  the  cold  of  the  nights  .so  much  the  more  keenly - 
and  they  were  often  in  danger  of  having  their  wet  feet 
f.-..st-b,tten.  "  It  often  happened,  when  we  came  to  take 
"tf  our  laupar-shoes  of  an  evening,  that  we  found  them 
frozen  fast  in  one  solid  piece  with  snow-sock  and  stock- 


injr. 


<>"  September  , ,.  the  temperature  at  night  within  the 
ten  W.XS  under  -4o'  C.  (-40-  I.'ahr.),  and  outside  the  tent 
probably  under  -45''  C.  (-4,/  I-ahr.).  The  difference  be- 
»e,.„  the  day  and  the  night  temperature  was  often  more 
l'.^"  -^o '  C  (36"  l.-ahr.).  Kven  inside  the  closed  sleepiu... 
I'ag,  he  cokl  was  so  .severe  that  when  they  awakened  tluw 
«""l'l  often  nnd  their  heads  completely  surrounded  with 
;a'  nud  hoar  frost.  ••  To  be  obliged  to  be  out  eonstantlv 
">  M.ch  cold  IS  not  always  .agreeable,"  .s,ays  Nansen  in  hi's 


68  NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

book.    "  It  often  happened  that  so  much  ice  formed  about 
the  face  that   the  beard  was  absolutely  frozen  fast  to  the 
wrappings  round  the  head,  and  it  was  difficult  enough  to 
open  the  mouth  to  speak."    When  in  addition  to  the  frost 
there  came  a  snow-storm,  we  can  readily  understand  that 
it  was  no  joke  for  them  to  drag   themselves,  each  with  a 
heavy  sledge,  day  after  day  across  the   interminable  ice 
desert,  at  an  altitude  of  8,000  or  9,000  feet  above  the  sea. 
From  September  4  to  8  they  encountered  a  furious  snow- 
storm, with  a  temperature  of  —40°  Fahr.     On  the  7th,  in- 
deed, they  dared  not  stir  from  their  tent,  which  was  care- 
fully hauled  taut,  lest  the  wind  should  blow  it  to  shreds  — 
in  which  case,  no  doubt,  their  saga  would  have  been  over. 
But  when  it  was  at  all  possible  their  daily  life  followed  its 
regular  course;  and  in  sjiite  of  cold  and  snow-storm,  thirst, 
"  fat  hunger,"  and   othci  hardships,  they  toiled  steadily  on 
toward  the  west  coast.     On  September  5  they  passed  the 
highest  point  on  their  route,  8,860  feet. 

On  September  1 1  and  1  2  they  were  at  a  height  of  about 
8,300  feet;  and  from  here  began  a  perceptible,  if  not  a 
very  marked,  down  gradient  toward  the  west.  On  the 
1 6th  they  came  upon  several  pretty  sharp  declivities,  and 
when  the  temperature  at  night  "  just  failed  to  reach  zero" 
they  all  felt  that  it  was  quite  mild. 

On  the  17th  they  saw  a  snow-bunting,  and  knew  they 
must  now  be  nearing  "  land." 

On  the  19th  they  had  a  favorable  wind,  and  hoisted 
sails  on  the  sledges,  which  they  lashed  together,  two  and 
two.  They  were  soon  going  at  a  spanking  pace,  and 
now  at  last  they  were  distinctly  upon  the  downward  slope 
toward  the  coast.  Late  in  the  afternoon  they  saw  "  land  " 
for  the  first  time.     Tliey  went  on  sailing  in  the  moonlight, 


ACJWSS   GREENLAND 


and 


69 


very  nearly  sailed  thdr  last  voyage,  for  they  had  now 
reached  the  fissured  marginal  zone  of  the  inland  ice,  with 
Its  yawnmg  crevasses  many  hundred  feet  deep 

_  Nansen  him.elf  had  the  fingers  of  both  'hands  frost- 
bitten that  evening,  and  suffered  ''  almost  intolerable  pain  " 
(It  must  have  been  bad  indeed  !).     They  had  little  enoucrh 


UNni:K    SAIL    IN    TIIK    M()(  .NMCIIT  -  CkKVASSES    AIIKAI) 


to  eat,  too  ;  but  for  all  this  they  cared   not  a  whit,  for  they 
knew  now  that  they  were  nearing  the  west  coast. 

'i1ie  next  morning  (September  20)  when  they  looked 
out  of  the  tent,  and  saw  the  whole  country  southOf  (]odt- 
Inabsfjord  spread  out  before  them,  one  can  guess  what 
were  their  feelings.  "We  were  like  children  —  a  lump 
<<'se  in  our  throats,  while  our  eyes  followed  the  valleys  and 
sought  in  vain  for  a  glimpse  of  the  sea." 


70 


NANSEN  JN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


fw 


ii' 

1 

I 


I  I    i 


r;! 


i,: 
1                    il 

ti 
S 

i             i 

^ 

1 

f 

I 

:    1 

; 

M 

4i 

:  1 

If 

The  next  day  they  advanced  pretty  briskly,  although 
with  the  greatest  caution,  on  account  of  the  numerous 
fissures,  among  which  they  had  many  narrow  escapes. 
On  the  evening  of  the  21st,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving 
the  east  coast,  they  found  water,  and  after  several  weeks 
of  thirst  were  able  to  drink  freely.  "  We  could  positively 
feel  our  stomachs  distending,"  says  Nansen.  These  were 
memorable  days  for  them  all. 

They  pushed  on  now  toward  Ameralikfjord  ;  but  it  was 
an  advance  under  difficulties.  The  ice  soon  became  terri- 
bly uneven,  and  full  of  cracks  and  crevasses  on  all  sides  — 
sometimes  so  impassable  that  they  had  to  mak-  lonr^  de- 
tours. Several  times,  one  or  another  of  them  would  fall 
into  a  crevasse,  but  would  generally  manage  to  get  his 
alpenstock  fixed  like  a  horizontal  bar  across  the  fissure. 
"  It  was  odd  enough  that  none  of  us  fell  in  any  deeper." 

In  spite  of  untold  difficulties  and  dangers  they  made 
their  way  during  the  succeeding  days  across  this  treacher- 
ous marginal  zone,  and  at  last,  on  September  24,  reached 
naked  soil,  and  had  the  inland  ice  forever  behind  them. 
"  No  words  can  possibly  describe  what  it  was  to  us  merely 
to  have  earth  and  stones  under  our  feet  —  the  sense  of 
well-being  that  thrilled  through  every  nerve  when  we  felt 
the  heather  springing  under  our  step,  and  smelled  the 
marvellous  f-igrance  of  grass  and  moss." 

Their  difificulties,  however,  were  not  yet  over  — they 
had  still  a  good  way  to  go  down  the  long  Austmannadal, 
and  now  everything  had  to  be  carried  on  their  backs. 
This  final  stage  they  accomplished  in  the  following  days, 
and  at  last  the  fjord  was  reached. 

Here  Sverdrup  and  Balto  set  to  work  to  stitch  together 
the  hull  of  a  canvas  boat,  using  for  the  purpose  the  sail- 


ACROSS   GREENLAAD 


71 


ese  were 


NANSKN    A\H    SVlUnRl-p    IN   TlIK   C.WVAS    IIOAT 

cloth  floor  of  the  tent;  while  Nanscn  cut  willow-wands  to 
make  the  frame.  Oars  were  improvised  out  of  bamboo 
stoves  and  split  \\illow-branches  covered  with  sail-cloth. 
For  thwarts  they  had  nothing  but  a  theodolite-stand  and 
two  thin  bamboo  rods. 

It  was  an  uncouth  nutshell  of  a  boat  about  8  feet  long, 
not  quite  4  feet  6  inches  wide,  and  scarcely  2  feet  deep. 
It  was  just  big  enough  to  hold  Nansen  and  Sverdrup,  and 
the  most  necessary  baggage;  and  they  had  to  keep  their 
tongues  pretty  straight  in  their  mouths,  or  it  would  have 
capsized. 

After  a  terrible  business  in  getting  boat  and  baggage 
through  the  river  delta  and  across  a  clayey  spit  of  laiid  to 
the  open  water,  on  September  29,  Nansen  and  Sverdru]^ 
at  last  rowed  off  down  the  Ameralikfjord.  Although  the 
boat  could  scarcely  be  classed  as  Ai,  and  leaked  so  "that  it 


7^ 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


■ 


had  to  be  baled  every  ten  minutes,  it  nevertheless  carried 
them  to  their  journey's  end. 

i'hey  had  favorable  weather  on  the  whole,  and,  by  dint 
of  great  exertions,  they  brought  their  coracle  safe  and 
sound  to  New  Herrnhut  at  midday  on  October  3. 
Scarcely  had  they  got  ashore  when  a  terrific  southerly 
irale  came  on.  From  New  Herrnhut  they  went  overland 
to  Godthaab. 

Dietrichson,  Christiansen,  and  the  two  Lapps,  who  had 
remained  behind  at  the  head  of  the  Ameralikfjord  with 
the  bulk  of  the  baggagje  and  no  tj^reat  store  of  provisions, 
were  brought  off  in  safety  as  soon  as  the  weather  per- 
mitted; and  thus,  on  October  16,  did  this  remarkable 
expedition  come  to  a  fortunate  close. 

"We  had  toiled  hard,  and  undeniably  suffered  a  good 
deal  in  order  to  reach  this  goal ;  and  what  were  now  our 
sensations.?  Were  they  those  of  the  happy  victor.?  No; 
we  had  looked  forward  so  long  to  the  goal  that  we  had 
discounted  its  attainment."  So  Nansen  writes  of  his  feel- 
ings the  evening  before  they  arrived  at  Oodthaab.  And 
this  is,  no  doubt,  comjjrehensible  enough.  Thc)^  were  too 
tired,  too  worn  out,  for  the  abstract  exultation  at  having 
actually  reached  their  goal  to  be  able  to  assert  itself  effec- 
tually against  the  more  material  delights,  for  example,  of 
eating  till  they  were  satisfied  and  sleejiing  in  a  projjer 
bed. 

Besides,  the  satisfaction  had  been  broken  up  into  many 
happy  moments  during  the  actual  journey  —  they  had  had 
a  taste  of  it  when,  with  confident  hope,  they  landed  on  the 
east  coast,  after  forcing  their  passage  through  the  drift 
ice;  they  had  revelled  in  it  when  they  first  saw  land  from 
the  heights  of  the  inland  ice,  when  they  first  found  water 


ACROSS  GREENLAND  y^ 

to  drink,  when  they  first  felt  the  solid  earth,  with  heather 
and  moss,  under  their  feet,  when  they  launched  their  boat 
on    the    waves    of   the    Ameralikfjord.      The    satisfaction 
really  lay  in    the  exploit  as   a  whole,  in   the  stimulating 
open-an-  life,  toilsome  though  it  was  — not  so  much  in  the 
goal  attamed,  as  in  the  struggle  to  attain  it.     As  soon  as 
that  was  done,  wh)-,  it   was   done;   there  was   no   lono-er 
anythmg   to  toil   and   strive  for,  and   lassitude  rushed^'in 
upon   them  until  other  more  distant  goals  began  to  loom 
ahead  m  their  thoughts.     This,  indeed,  is  what  inevitably 
happens  to  every  man  who  is  really  born  with   the  s])irit 
of  research.     So  long  as  he  has  strength  and  faculty  for 
new  problems,  his  joy  oN-er  those  achieved  must  be  short- 
lived.    It  must  give  i^lace,  in  the  ferment  of  the  mind,  to 
new  aspirations;  and  in   Nansen's  case  these  new  asj^ira- 
tions  were  already  lying  in  wait.     \\Y>  ma)-  safely  assume 
that  even  during  his  stay  in   Cireenland  the  plan  of  his 
next  great  enterj^rise  must  haxe  been  taking  shape  in  his 
thoughts. 

When  the  expedition  reached  the  colony,  the  ship  from 
Godthaal)  had  already  started.  Nansen.  however,  got 
kaiak-men  to  take  letters  to  higtut,  scNentv  miles  south 
of  (.odthaab.  They  were  duh"  delivered,^  at  the  last 
m..inent,  en  board  the  steamer  Fox,  which  had  carried 
McClmtock  on  his  voyage  in  search  of  Franklin  ;  and 
thus  the  news  of  the  successful  issue  of  the  Greenland 
expedition  reached  Europe  that  autumn.  It  chanced 
that  the  Fox  was  obliged,  by  scarcity  of  coal,  to  touch  at 
Skudesn.Ts.  so  that  Nansen  s  native  country  got  the  first 
intelligence. 

The    two    letters    brought    b)-   the   steamer,   one   from 


74 


NAA'SEN  IN  THE   FROZEN    WORLD 


!    1 


■ 


Nansen  to  Gamel,  the  other  from  Sverdrup  to  liis  father, 
were  soon  telegraphed  over  the  whole  world,  and,  as  will 
be  remembered,  were  everywhere  received  with  great 
rejoicing. 

Meanwhile  Nansen  and  his  comrades  had  to  winter  in 
Godthaab,  where  Herr  Bistrups,  the  director  of  the  colony, 
Doctor  Binzers,  Pastor  Balles,  and  the  other  Danish 
residents,  showed  them  the  greatest  hospitality,  and  did 
everything  to  make  their  stay  as  pleasant  as  possible. 
Nansen  himself  turned  his  time  to  account  in  studying 
the  Eskimos.  He  shared  their  life  with  them  in  their 
huts,  went  thoroughly  into  their  methods  of  hunting, 
their  customs  and  occujjations,  and  even  got  to  know 
their  language  pretty  well.  He  learned  to  manage  the 
kaiak  and  wield  their  weapons;  in  short,  he  spared  no 
possible  pains  in  his  study  of  this  remarkable  people,  for 
whom  he  soon  cair.e  to  entertain  a  real  affection. 

He  also  made  sevc.il  excursions  with  the  Greenlanders, 
a  hunting  expediti*  n  to  Ameralikfjord,  and  longer  trips 
to  Sardlok  and  Kangek,  during  which  he  lived  for  some 
weeks  entirely  with  the  Eskimos. 

On  April  15,  1S89,  while  Nansen  and  his  comrades  sat 
chattino:  over  their  coffee  with  the  colonial  director  and 
the  doctor,  the  w^hole  colony  resounded  with  one  universal 
cry,  "Umiarsuit!  Umiarsuit  !  "  (The  shi]),  the  ship!) 
It  was  the  longed-for  vessel,  Hvidbj'dnieti,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Garde. 

The  hour  of  de])arture  had  come,  and  everything  was 
soon  in  order.  "  It  was  not  without  sorrow,"  Nansen 
says,  "  that  some  of  us  turned  our  l>acks  on  the  ])eoi)le 
who  had  been  so  good  to  us,  and  the  place  where  we  had 
lived  so  happily."     So  far  as  Nansen  k<imself  is  concerned, 


ACJiOSS   GREENLAND 

one  may  be  sure  that  these  words  are  the  expression  of 

sinccio    feehng.      A    nature    like    his,    with    its    healthy 

p:tssion  for  open-air  activity,  nuist   have  been  in  its  ele- 

m-;t  among  these  kindly  primitive   people,     lie  relates 

«'  '^Mrmmgly  characteristic  little  incident  of  their  leave- 

takmg.     One  of  his  Eskimo  friends,  whom  he  had  often 

v)s.ted,said  to  him   the  day  before  his  departure:    "Now 

you  are  gomg  back  to  the  great  world  whence  you  came 

to  us,  and   you   will  meet  many  people  there,  and   hear 

many  new  things,  and  you  will   soon  forget   us;  dul  we 

101  il  never  for i^ct  yon  r 

Those  who  know  Nansen  know  that  he  has  not  foro-ot- 
ten  his  I<.skimo  friends;  and  those  who  have  read  his  book 
ciescnbmg  their  life  will  understand  how  dear  they  had 
become  to  iiim. 

On   May  21,  after  a  favorable  passage,  HvicUjornen  an- 
chored  m  the  harbor  of  Copenhagen.     It  was  a  little  more 
tlian  a  year    ,ince  Nansen,  on  his  way  to  Greenland,  had 
passed  through  Copenhagen,  and  put  the  hasty  finishinc- 
touches  to  the  prej^aratio.  s  for  the  expedition.     A  great 
(leal  had  haj^pened  in  the  interval.     In  himself,  indeed,  he 
was  just  the  same  when  he  came  back  as  when  he  went 
away  ;  but  in  the  e)'es  of  the  world  he  was  a  very  differ- 
ent person.     Then  he  had  been  a  young  dare-devil  settino- 
torth  on  a  forlor.i  hope;  now  he  was  the  world-renowned 
explorer  who  had  successfully  carried  through  a  great  un- 
dertaking. 

_  And  then  came  the  triumphs.  First  a  week's  festivi- 
ties m  Copenhagen,  and  then  the  home-comincr— such  a 
home-coming  as  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  no  other  Norwe- 
gian. It  was  a  lovely  day  as  the  triumphal  procession 
passed  up  Christiania  I-'jord-all  the  ships  were  in  festal 


i:! 
iil 


76 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   IVOR  LP 


If  III 


arrav,  the  woods  wore  tlieir  first  green  leaves,  there 
were  flowers  and  flags  and  music  on  every  hand,  up  the 
whole  long  fjord,  to  the  city.  It  was  as  though  a  flood  of 
color  and  warmth  had  streamed  forth  to  greet  these  vis- 
itants from  the  white  wastes  of  the  inland  ice. 

First  came  the  men-of-war  and  the  torpedo  boats,  skim- 
ming along  beside  the 
iM.    G.    Mclchior,    and 
forming     a    fjuard     of 
honor,  right  up  to  the 
capital  ;  the'i  the  great 
sc|uadron  of  steamships, 
then     the    sailing-boats 
and    cutters  with   their 
white      sails,      darting 
around   Nansen's    ship 
like  a  flock  of  sea-gulls, 
now  astern,  now  abeam, 
now  ahead.     There  he 
stood  in  his  gray  clothes 
which     had    turned    to 
dirty     brown      in      the 
Cireenland     turf     huts, 
i'lic   honor   doni-    him 
was  too  overpowering  for  him   to  feel   proud  at   that  mo- 
ment.    A  softer  and   more  subdued  emotion   nuist  doubt- 
less have  been  in  the  ascendant.      I  b'  must  havi'  felt  how 
he  jjassed  over  into  his  people,  and  became  <   "■  with   it. 
He  had  gone  forth  as  an  emifisary,  an   intiMpretir  of  this 
])eople;  the  courage  which  goes  unknown  and  unrecorded 
to  its  fate  in  the  dark  nights  on  sea  and  fjord,  it  had  been 
his  hajjp)'  lot  to  leail  forward   into  sunshine  and  victory 


NANSI.N    AT   THIRTY-ONE 


ACROSS   GREENLAND 


11 


before  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world.  Among  all  the  thou- 
sands who  waved  to  him  from  the  ramparts  of  Akerhus, 
who  burst  the  cordon  of  the  police  and  swarmed  round  his 
carriage  in  the  streets,  how  many  at  that  moment  had  any 
thought  of  science  ?  It  was  the  exploit  that  appealed  to 
them.  —  they  saw  in  him  the  victorious  chieftain,  the  con- 
necting link  between  the  hc.v.js  of  the  Sagas  and  the 
heroes  of  every-day  life,  the  fisherman  clinging  to  his  over- 
turned boat,  the  snow-shoer  on  the  wintry  uplands,  the 
lumberman  shooting  the  rapids  on  his  raft.  They  saw  in 
him  the  national  type  ;  and  they  were  right  in  a  way.  In 
that  hour  he  must  certainly  have  felt  himself  close-knit 
to  the  soil  from  which  his  deed  had  sprung,  and  memories 
of  childhood  must  have  rushed  in  upon  him  when  his  car- 
riage stopped  at  the  house  of  the  sisters  Larsen,  and  he 
ran  upstairs  to  greet  the  old  housekeeper  at  Great  Froen, 
who  had  bandaged  his  blood-stained  forehead  the  first 
time  thai  he  kissed  the  ice. 


*    *»^ 


CHAPTER  V 


DRIITINC    IN    TIIK    ICE 


Next  morning,  July  20,  I  was  roused  by  some  violent 
shocks  to  the  Hoe  on  which  we  were  encamped,  and 
thought  the  motion  of  the  sea  must  have  increased  very 
considerabl)'.  When  we  get  outside  we  discover  that  the 
lloe  has  split  in  two  not  far  from  the  tent.  The  Lapps, 
wht)  had  at  once  made  for  the  highest  points  of  our  i)iece 
of  ice,  now  shout  that  they  can  see  the  open  sea.  And 
so  it  is;  far  in  the  distance  lies  the  sea  sparkling  in  the 
morning  sunshine.  It  is  a  sight  we  have  not  had  since 
we  left  the  Jason. 

I  may  here  reproduce  the  entries  in  my  diary  for  this 
and  the  following  day  :  — 

"  The  swell  is  growing  heavier  and  heavier,  and  tlic 
water  breaking  over  our  lloe  with  ever-increasing  force. 
The  blocks  of  ice  and  slush,  which  come  from  (he  t::rind- 
ing  of  the  floes  together,  and  are  thrown  up  round  the 
edges  of  our  |)iece,  do  a  good  deal  to  break  the  violence 
of  the  waves.  I'hc  worst  of  it  all  is  that  we  are  being  car- 
ried seawa'^d  with  ominous  rapidity.  We  load  our  sledges 
and  try  to  drag  them  inward  toward  land,  but  soon  see 
that  the  j)ace  we  are  drifting  at  is  too  much  for  us.  So 
we  begin  again  to  look  around  us  for  a  safi-r  lloe  to  pitch 
our  camp  on,  as  our  ))resent  one  seems  somewhat  shaky. 
When  we  first  took  to  it  it  was  a  good  round  (kit  piece 
'  From  Naiisen's  Acnns  Grecntami, 


DRIFTIXG  IN  THE  ICE 


79 


this 


about  seventy  yards  across,  but  it  split  once  during  the 
night,  and  is  now  preparing  to  part  again  at  other  places, 
so  that  we  shall  soon  not  have  much  of  it  left.  Close  by 
us  is  a  large  strong  floe,  still  unbroken,  and  thither  we 
move  our  camp. 

"  Meanwhile  the  breakers  seem  to  be  drawing  nearer, 
their  roar  grows  louder,  the  swell  comes  rolling  in  and 
washes  over  the  ice  all  around  us,  and  the  situation  prom- 
ises before  long  to  be  critical. 

"  Poor  Lapps !  they  are  not  in  the  best  of  s])irits.     This 
morning  they  had  disappeared,  and   I  could  not  imagine 
what  had  become  of   them,  as  there  were  not  many  places 
on  our  little  island  where  any  of  us  could  hide  ouselves 
away.      Then    I    noticed   that  s  )me   tarpaulins   had   been 
carefully  laid   over  one   of  the  boats.      I    lifted  a  corner 
gently  and  saw  both  the  Lapps  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the 
boat.     The  younger,  IJalto,  was  reading  aloud  to  the  other 
out  of  his  Lappish  New  Testament.     Without  attracting 
their  attention    I   replaced  the  cover  of  this  curious  little 
house  of  prayer  which    they   iiad    set   up  for  themselves. 
They  had  given  up  hoj)e  of  life,  and  were  making  ready 
for  death."— As  Balto  confided  to  me  one  ciay  long  after- 
ward, they  had  oi)en(<d   their  h-arts  to  one  an -t her  here 
in   the    boat    and    mingled    their    tears    together,   bitterly 
i-t.proaching  themselves  and  oti  ers  because  they  had  ever 
bee.i   brought    to    leave    their    homes.       TIik^    Is    not    to 
I'c  wondered  at,    as  they   have  s.     little     ■.  -rest    in    the 
scheme. 

"  It  is  glorious  weather,  with  the  sun  >,>  h;,t  and  bright 
that  we  must  haNe  recourst-  to  our  spcLtacles.  We  take 
advantage  of  this  to  get  an  .bservation.  our  bearings 
showing  us  to  be  in  65°  8'  N.  and   >S°  20'  \V.,  /.  c    30 


-■/f^& 


8o 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


minutes  or  about  35  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Sermilik- 
tjord,  and  from  23  to  25  minutes  or  about  30  miles  from 
the  nearest  land. 

"  We  get  our  usual  dinner  ready,  deciding,  however,  in 
honor  of  the  occasion,  to  treat  ourselves  to  pea-soup. 
This  is  the  first  time  we  \\\\(i  allowed  ourselves  to  cook 
anything.  While  the  soup  is  being  made  the  swell  in- 
creases so  violently  that  our  cooking  apparatus  is  on  the 
point  of  capsizing  t)\cr  and  oxer  again. 

"  The  Lapps  go  through  their  dinner  in  perfect  silence, 
but  the  rest  of  us  talk  and  joke  as  usual,  the  violent  rolls 
of  our  floe  repeatedly  giving  rise  to  witticisms  on  the  part 
of  one  or  otlier  of  the  company,  which  in  spite  of  our- 
selves kejjt  our  laughing  nuiscles  in  constant  use.  As  far 
as  the  Lapps  were  conciTiied,  howoxor,  these  jests  fell  on 
anything  ])ut  good  ground,  for  tlie\'  plainly  enough 
thought  that  this  was  not  at  all  the  proper  time  and  place 
for  such  frivolity. 

"  From  the  highest  jioint  or  floe  we  can  clearly  see 

how  the  ice  is  being  washed  ie   breakers,  while  the 

columns  of  spray  thrown  high  u.  the  air  look  like  white 
clouds  against  the  background  of  blue  skv.  N(^  living 
thing  can  ride  the  lloes  out  there  as  far  as  we  can  see. 
It  seems  inevitable  that  we  must  be  carried  thither,  but. 
as  our  lloe  is  thick  and  strong,  we  hope  to  last  for  a  while. 
We  ha\e  no  idea  of  lea\iiig  it  l)efore  we  need,  but  when 
it  comes  to  that,  .and  we  can  iiold  on  no  longer,  our  last 
chance  will  be  to  try  and  run  our  bo.its  out  through  the 
surf.  This  will  be  a  wet  .muiscnient.  but  we  arc  deter- 
mined to  do  our  bot  in  the  fight  for  life.  ( )ur  |)rovi- 
sions,  ammunition,  and  other  things  are  divided  between 
the  two  boats,  .so  that   if  one   is  stove  in  and   sinks   we 


DRIFTING  IN  THE  ICE  gi 

shall  have  enough  to  keep  us  ahve  in  the  other  We 
^hould  probably  be  able  to  save  our  lives  in  that  case 
but  of  course  the  success  of  the  expedition  would  be  verJ 
doubtful.  ■' 

"  To    run   one   of    our    loaded    boats    into    the    water 
hrough  the  heavy  surf  and  rolling  floes  without  getting 
her  swamped  or  crushed  will  perhaps  be  possible  as  we 
can  set  al    our  hands  to  work,  but  it  will  be  difficult  for 
the  crew  of  the  remaining  boat  to  get  their  ship  launched. 
After  consideration  we  come  to  tlie  conclusion   that  we 
must  only  put  what  is  absoh.tcly  necessary  into  one  boat 
and   keep   it   as   light   as    possible,   so    that   in    case   of 
extremity  we  can  take  to  it  alone.     For  the  rest,  we  shall 
see  how  thmgs  look  when  we  actually  reach  the  breakers. 
•  We  have  scarcely  half  a  mile  left  now,  and  none  of  us 
have  any  doubt  but  that  before  another  couple  of  hours 
are  passed  we  shall  find  ourselves  either  rocking  on  the 
open   sea,  making  our  way  along  the   ice  southward,   or 
sinking  to  the  bottom. 

"Poor  Ravna  deserves  most  sympathy.  He  is  not  yet 
at  all  accustomed  to  the  sea  and  its  caprices.  He  moves 
silently  about,  fiddling  with  one  thing  or  another,  now  and 
ag^'im  goes  up  to  the  highest  points  of  our  floe,  a.ul  <wes 
anxiously  out  toward  the  breakers.  flis  thought;"  are 
evidently  with  his  herd  of  reindeer,  his  tent,  and  wife  and 
children  far  away  on  the  Finmarken  mountains,  where  all 
IS  now  sunshine  and  summer  weather. 

"  Hut  why  did  he  ever  leave  all  this?  Only  because 
he  was  offered  money.?  Alas!  what  is  monev  compared 
WK  hap,),ness  and  home,  where  all  is  now  sun  and  sum- 
nier.?     Poor  Ravna  ! 

"  It  is  but  human  at  such  moments  to  let  the  remem. 


82 


NANSEN  IX  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


brance  dwell  on  what  has  been  fairest  in  life,  and  few 
indeed  can  have  fairer  memories  to  look  back  upon  than 
yours  of  the  mountain  and  reindeer-herd. 

"  But  here,  too,  the  sun  is  shining  as  kindly  and  peace- 
fully as  elsewhere,  down  on  the  rolling  sea  and  thundering 
surf,  which  is  boiling  round  us.  The  evening  is  glorious, 
as  red  as  it  was  )'esterday,  and  as  no  doubt  it  will  be  to- 
morrow and  ever  after,  setting  the  western  sky  on  fire, 
and  pressing  its  last  long  passionate  kiss  on  land  and  ice 
and  sea  before  it  disappears  behind  the  barrier  of  the 
'inland  ice.'  There  is  not  a  breath  of  wind  stirring,  and 
the  sea  is  rolling  in  upon  us  ruddy  and  polished  as  a 
shield  under  the  light  of  the  evening  sky. 

"  Beautiful  it  is,  indeed,  with  these  huge  long  billows 
coming  rolling  in,  sweeping  on  as  if  nothing  could  with- 
stand them.  They  fall  upon  the  white  floes,  and  then, 
raising  their  green,  dripping  breasts,  they  break  and 
throw  fragments  of  ice  and  spray  far  before  them  on  to 
the  ditterine  ;  now,  or  high  above  them  into  the  blue  air. 
But  it  seems  almost  strange  that  such  surroundings  can 
be  the  scene  of  death.  Yet  death  must  come  one  day, 
and  the  hour  of  our  departure  could  scarcely  be  more 
glorious. 

'  But  we  have  no  time  to  waste  ;  we  are  getting  very 
near  now.  The  swell  is  so  heavy  that  when  we  are  down 
in  the  hollows  w(}  can  see  nothing  of  the  ice  around  us, 
nothing  but  the  sky  above.  Moes  crash  together,  br(\'\k, 
and  are  uround  to  fragments  all  about  us,  and  our  own 
has  also  split.  If  we  are  going  to  sea  we  shall  need  all 
our  strength  in  case  we  have  to  row  for  days  together  in 
order  to  keep  clear  of  the  ice.  So  all  hands  are  ordered 
to  bed   in  the   tent,  which  is   the  only  thing  we   have  not 


DRIFTING  IN  THE  ICE 


83 


yet  packed  into  the  boats.  Sverdrup,  as  the  most  experi- 
enced and  cool-headed  among  us,  is  to  take  the  first 
watch  and  turn  us  out  at  the  critical  moment.  In  two 
hours  Christiansen  is  to  take  his  place. 

"  I  look  in  vain  for  any  sign  which  can  betray  fear  on 
the  part  of  my  comrades,  but  they  seem  as  cool  as  ever, 
and  their  conversation  is  as  usual.  The  Lapps  alone  shovv 
some  anxiety,  though  it  is  that  of  a  calm  resignation,  for 
they  are  fully  convinced  that  they  have  seen  the  sun  set 
for  the  last  time.  In  spite  of  the  roar  of  the  breakers  we 
are  soon  fast  asleep,  and  even  the  Lapps  seem  to  be  slum- 
bering quietly  and  soundly.  They  are  too  good  children 
of  nature  to  let  anxiety  spoil  their  sleep.  Balto.  who,  not 
finding  the  tent  safe  enough,  is  lying  in  one  of  the  boats, 
(lid  not  even  wake  when  some  time  later  it  was  almost 
suept  by  the  waves,  and  Sxerdrup  had  to  hold  it  to  keep 
it  on  the  floe. 

"  After  sleeping  for  a  while,  I  do  not  know  how  long,  I 
am  woke  by  the  sound  of  the  water  rushing  close  by  my 
head  and  just  outside  the  wall  of  the  tent.     I  feel  the  floe 
rocking  up  and  down  like  a  ship  in  a  heaxy  sea,  and  the 
i-oar  of  the  surf  is  more  deafening  than  ever.     I  lay  expect- 
ing every  moment  to  hear  S\'erdrup  call  me  or  to  see  the 
tent  filled  with  water,  but  nothing  of  the  kind  happened.    I 
could  distinctly  hear  his  familiar  steady  tread  up  and  down 
the  floe  between  tlie  tent  and  the  boats.     I  seemed  to  my- 
self to  see  his  sturdy  form  as  he  paced   calmly  backward 
and  forward,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  a  slight 
stoop  in  his  shoulders,  or  stood  with  his  calm  and  thought- 
ful face  gazing  out  to  sea,  his  quid  now  and  again  turning 
in  his  cheek  —  I   remember  no  more,  as  I  dozed  off  Xo 
sleep  again. 


!  'i 


84 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


'i. 


■ 


l!  ' 


"  I  did  not  wake  again  till  it  was  full  morning.  Then  I 
started  up  in  astonishment,  for  I  could  hear  nothing  of  the 
breakers  but  a  distant  thunder.  When  I  got  o;  tside  the 
tent  I  saw  that  we  were  a  long  way  off  the  open  sea.  Our 
floe,  however,  was  a  sight  to  remember.  Fragments  of 
ice,  big  and  little,  had  been  thrown  upon  it  by  the  waves 
till  they  formed  a  rampart  all  around  us,  and  the  ridge 
on  which  our  tent  and  one  of  the  boats  stood  was  the 
only  part  the  sea  had  not  washed. 

"  Sverdrup  now  told  us  that  several  times  in  the  course 
of  the  night  he  had  stood  by  the  tent-door  prepared  to 
turn  us  out.  Once  he  actually  undid  one  hook,  then 
waited  a  bit,  took  another  turn  to  the  beats,  and  then 
another  look  at  the  surf,  leaving  the  hook  unfastened  in 
case  of  accident.  We  were  then  right  out  at  the  extreme 
edge  of  the  ice.  A  huge  crag  of  ice  was  swaying  in  tlie 
sea  close  beside  us,  and  threatening  every  moment  to  fall 
upon  our  floe.  The  surf  was  washing  us  on  all  sides,  but 
the  rampart  that  had  been  thrown  up  round  us  did  us 
sfood  service,  and  the  tent  and  one  of  the  boats  still  stood 
high  and  dry.  The  other  boat,  in  which  Balto  was  asleep, 
was  washed  so  heavily  that  again  and  again  Sverdrup  had 
to  hold  it  in  its  place. 

"  Then  matters  got  still  worse.  Sverdruj)  came  to  the 
tent-door  again,  undid  another  hook,  l3ut  again  hesitated 
and  waited  for  the  next  sea.  He  undid  no  more  hooks, 
however.  Just  as  things  looked  worst,  and  our  floe's  turn 
had  come  to  ride  out  into  the  middle  of  the  breakers,  she 
suddenly  changed  her  course,  and  with  astonishing  speed 
we  were  once  more  sailing  in  toward  land.  So  marvelKuis 
was  the  change  tliat  it  looked  as  if  it  were  the  work  of  an 
unseen  hand.     When  I  <iot  out  we  were  far  inside  and  in 


DRIFTING  IN  THE  ICE 


8S 


a  good  harbor,  though  the  roar  of  the  breakers  was  still 
audible  enough  to  remind  us  of  the  night.  Thus  for  this 
time  we  were  spared  the  expected  trial  of  the  seaworthi- 
ness of  our  boats  and  our  own  seamanship." 


ll 


THE   ESKIMO    ENCAMPMENT   AT   CAPE   BILLE 
(By  E.  Nielsen,  front  a  photograpli) 

CHAPTER   VI 


AN    ESKIMO    ENCAMPMENT    ON    THE    EAST   COAST' 

As  we  drew  near  Cape  Bille,  the  promontory  which  lies 
to  the  north  of  Puisortok,  we  heard  strange  sounds  from 
shore  —  as  it  were,  a  mixture  of  human  voices  and  the 
barking  of  dogs.  As  we  gazed  thither  we  now  caught 
sight  of  some  dai  masses  of  moving  objects,  which,  as 
we  examined  them  more  closely,  we  found  to  be  groups 
of  human  beings.  They  were  spread  over  the  terrace  of 
rock,  were  chattering  in  indistinguishable  Babel,  gesticu- 
lating, and  pointing  toward  us  as  we  worked  our  way 
quietly  through  the  ice.  They  had  evidently  been  watch- 
ins-  us  for  some  time.  We  now  too  discovered  a  number 
of  skin-tents  which  were  perched  among  the  rocks,  and  at 
the  same  time  became  aware  of  a  noteworthy  smell  of 
train-oil  or  some  similar  substance,  which  followed  the  off- 
shore breeze.  Though  it  was  still  early,  and  though  the 
water  in  front  of  us  seemed  open  for  some  distance,  we 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  visiting  these  strange 
and  unknown   beings.     At  the  moment  we   turned  our 

*  From  Nanscn's  Across  Greenland. 


AN  ESx'IMO  ENCAMPMENT 


87 


boats  toward  shore  the  clamor  increased  tenfold.  They 
shrieked  and  yelled,  pointed,  and  rushed,  some  down  to 
the  shore,  others  up  on  to  higher  rocks  in  order  to  see  us 
better.  If  we  were  stopped  by  ice  and  took  out  our  long 
boat-hooks  and  bamboo  poles  to  force  the  floes  apart  and 
make  ourselves  a  channel,  the  confusion  on  shore  rose  to 
an  extraordinary  pitch,  the  cries  and  laughter  growing 
simply  hysterical.  As  we  got  in  toward  land  some  men 
came  darting  out  to  us  in  their  "  kaiaks,"  among  them 
a  native  whom  we  had  seen  in  the  morning.  Their  faces 
one  and  all  simply  beamed  with  smiles,  and  in  the  most 
friendly  way  they  swarmed  around  us  in  their  active  little 
craft,  trying  to  point  us  out  the  way,  which  we  could  quite 
well  find  ourselves,  and  gazing  in  wonder  at  our  strong 
boats  as  they  glided  on  regardless  of  ice,  which  would  have 
cut  their  fragile  boats  of  skin  in  pieces. 

At  last  w-e  passed  the  last  floe  and  drew  in  to  shore. 
It  was  now  growing  dusk,  and  the  scene  that  met  us  was 
one  of  the  most  fantastic  to  which  I  have  ever  been 
witness.  All  about  the  ledges  of  rock  stood  long  rows 
of  strangely  wild  and  shaggy-looking  creatures  —  men, 
women,  and  children  all  in  much  the  same  scanty  dress 
—  staring  and  pointing  at  us,  and  uttering  the  same  bo- 
vine sound  which  had  so  much  struck  us  in  the  morning. 
Now  it  was  just  as  if  we  had  a  whole  herd  of  cows  about 
us,  lowing  in  chorus  as  the  cowhouse  door  is  opened  :n 
the  morning  to  admit  the  expected  fodder.  Down  by 
the  water's  edge  were  a  number  of  men  eagerly  strug- 
gling and  gesticulating  to  show  us  a  good  landing-place, 
which,  together  with  other  small  services  of  the  kind,  is 
the  acknowledged  Eskimo  welcome  to  strangers  whom 
they  are  pleased  to  see.     Up  on  the  rocks  were  a  number 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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V. 


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I.I 


2,2 


!lf       140 


1.25  III! 


2.0 


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o-;m'y 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corpomtlon 


33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTIR.N.Y.  I4SS0 

(71f  )  a7a-4503 


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88 


IiA.\'SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


■ 


of  yellowisn-brown  tents,  .„d  lower  down  canoes,  skin- 
boats,  and  other  implements,  while  more  "kaiaks" 
swarmed  round  us  in  the  water.  Add  to  all  this  the 
ne.ghbonng  glacier,  the  drifting  floes,  and  the  glowino- 
evenmg  sky,  and,  lastly,  our  two  boats  and  six  unkempr. 
lookmg  selves,  and  the  whole  formed  a  picture  which  we 
at  least  are  not  likely  to  forget.  The  life  and  movement 
were  a  welcome  contrast  indeed  to  the  desolation  and 
siience  which  we  had  so  long  endured. 

It  was  not  long,  of  course,  before  our  boats  were  safely 
moored,  and  we  standing  on  shore  surrounded  by  crowds 
of  natives,  who  scanned  us  and  our  belongings  with  won- 
dering eyes.  Beaming  smiles  and  kindliness  met  us  on 
a  I  sides.  A  smiling  face  is  the  Eskimo's  greeting  to  a 
stranger,  as  his  langu.age  has  no  fomiula  of  welcome 

1  hen  «e  look  around  us  for  a  bit.     Here  amid  the  ice 
and  snow  these  people  seemed  to  be  comfortable  enou-h 
and  we  felt  indeed  that  we  would  willingly  prolong  o°u; 
stay  among  them.     As  we  stopped  in  front  of  the  largest 
ent,  at  the  sight  of  the  comfortable  glow  that  shone  out 
through  Its  outer  opening,  we  were  at  once  invited  in  by 
s.gns.     W  e  accepted   the  invitation,  and  as  .soon  as  we 
had  passed  the  outer  doorway  a  curtain  of  thin  membra- 
neons  skin   was  pushed  aside  for  us,  and,  bending   our 
heads  as  we  entered,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  cosey  mom 

The  sight  and  sn,ell  which  now  met  us  were,  to  put  it 
n-ljlly.  at  east  unusual.  I  had  certainly  been  given  to 
>"U lerstand  that  the  Eskimos  of  the  east  coast  of  Green- 
and  were  m  the  habit  of  reducing  their  indoor  dre.ss  to 
the  smallest  po.ssible  dimensions,  and  that  the  atmosphere 
of  their  dwellings  was  the  reverse  of  pleasant.  But  a 
sight  so  extraordinary,  and  a  smell  so  remarkable,  had 


yiJV  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT  o 

09 

never  co„,e  within  the  grasp  of  my  imnsiaation.     The 

men,  whzch  was  a  pecuhar  blending  of  several  charac 

e„st,c   n,gredients,  was  quite  enough    .0  occupy  o  el 

attenfon  at  first  entrance.     The  most  prominent  of  the 

components   was   dt.e    to   the  numerou     train-oil   lamos 

«-h.ch  were   burning,  and  this   powerful    odor   was   "e, 

KuKh  as    veil  as  the  pungent  effluvia  of  a  certain  fetid 

qu,d  winch  was  stored  in  vessels  here  and  there  a2 

he  room,  and  which,  as  I  subsequently  learned,  s  from 

the  vanous  uses  to  which  it  is  applied  one  of    1      mo" 

economy     Into  further  details  I  think  it  is  scarcely  ad 
v-ble  to  go,  and  I   nn,st  ask  the  reader  to  acce  I  mt 
asst,rance    t  at  the  general  effect  was  an,..™;^  at^ 
t.act,ve    to   the   unaccustomed    nose   of   the   new-come- 
However,  fam.harity  soon  has  its  wonted  effect,  and  o^C; 
first  abhorrence  may  even  before  long  give  wa^  to  a  cer 
am  degree  of  pleasure.     But  it  is  not   the  same   Jfth 

sTaLT:;?  •  °'"  "  "™  °^  °"^  P^^^>'  --  --       n' 

stiained  to  retire  incontinently. 

ease°to?'  °n"  T'  '  '°°"  '"""^  ™>'^^'f  sufficiently  at 

a  rested  1     T        T  ™^  '^"^     ^^  ■•'«'^"''°"  «-  «-' 
ar  e  ted  by  the  number  of  naked  forms  which  thronged 

he  .cnt  m  standu,g,  s.tting,  and  reclining  positions.     AH 
the  oca,p,„,  i„   j^^^^   ^^^.^^^   .^   ^^^.     ^_^^^^^^ 

nat.t  or  mdoor  dress,  the  dimensions  of  which  are  so 
extremely  small  as  to  make  it  practically  invisible  to  the 
strangers  me.xperienced  eye.  The  dress  consists  of  a 
narrow  band  about  the  loins,  which  in  the  case  of  the 
«omen  ,s  reduced  to  the  smallest  possible  dimensions. 

Of  false  modesty,  of  course,  there  was  no  sign,  but  it  is 


90 


NAA^SEN  jy  THE  FROZEN  WOULD 


•  I 


not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  unaffected  ingenuousness 
with  which  all  intercourse  was  carried  on  made  a  very 
strange  impression  upon  us  conventional  Europeans  in 
the  first  instance.  Nor  will  the  blushes  which  rose  to  the 
cheeks  of  some  among  us  when  we  saw  a  party  of  young 
men  and  women  who  followed  us  into  the  tent  at  once 
proceed  to  attire  themselves  in  their  indoor  dress,  or,  in 
other  words,  divest  themselves  of  every  particle  of  cloth- 
ing which  they  wore,  be  laid  to  our  discredit,  when  it  is 
remembered  that  we  had  been  accustomed  to  male  society 
exclusively  during  our  voyage  and  adventures  among  the 
ice.  The  Lapps  especially  were  much  embarrassed  at 
the  unwonted  sight. 

The  natives  now  thronged  in  in  numbers,  and  the  tent 
was  soon  closely  packed.  We  had  been  at  once  invited 
to  sit  down  upon  some  chests  whi  u  stood  by  the  thin 
skin-curtain  at  the  entrance.  These  are  the  seats  which 
are  always  put  at  the  disposal  of  visitors,  while  the  occu- 
pants have  their  places  upon  the  long  bench  or  couch 
which  fills  the  back  part  of  the  tent.  This  couch  is  made 
of  planks,  is  deep  enough  to  give  room  for  a  body  re- 
clining at  full  length,  and  is  as  broad  as  the  whole  width 
of  the  tent.  It  is  covered  with  several  layers  of  seal-skin, 
and  upon  it  the  occupants  spend  their  whole  indoor  life, 
men  and  women  nlike,  sitting  often  cross-legged  as  they 
\vork,  and  taking  their  meals  and  rest  and  sleep. 

The  tent  itself  is  of  a  very  peculiar  construction.  The 
framework  consists  of  a  sort  of  high  trestle,  upon  which  a 
number  of  poles  are  laid,  forming  a  semicircle  below,  and 
converging  more  or  less  to  a  point  at  the  top.  Over 
these  poles  a  double  layer  of  skin  is  stretched,  the  inner 
coat  with  the  hair  turned  inward,  and  the  outer  generally 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


91 


1 1 


consisting  of  the  old  coverings  of  boats  and  "  kaiaks." 
The  entrance  is  under  the  above-mentioned  trestle,  which 
is  covered  by  the  thin  curtain  of  which  I  have  already 
spoken. 

This  particular  tent  housed  four  or  five  different  fami- 
lies. Each  of  them  had  its  own  partition  marked  of¥ 
upon  the  common  couch,  and  in  each  of  the  stalls  so 
formed  man,  wife,  and  children  would  be  closely  packed, 
a  four-foot  space  thus  having  sometimes  to  accommodate 
husband,  two  wives,  and  six  or  more  children. 

Before  every  family  stall  a  train-oil  lamp  was  burning 
with  a  broad  flame.  These  lamps  are  flat,  semicircular 
vessels  of  pot-stone,  about  a  foot  in  length.  The  wick  is 
made  of  dried  moss,  which  is  placed  against  one  side  of 
the  lamp  and  continually  fed  with  pieces  of  fresh  blubber, 
which  soon  melts  into  oil.  The  lamps  are  in  charge  of 
the  women,  who  have  special  sticks  to  manipulate  the 
wicks  with,  to  keep  them  both  from  smoking  and  from 
burning  too  low.  Great  pots  of  the  same  stone  hang 
above,  and  in  them  the  Eskimos  cook  all  their  food  which 
they  do  not  eat  raw.  Strange  to  say,  they  use  neither 
peat  nor  wood  for  cooking  purposes,  though  such  fuel  is 
not  difficult  to  procure.  The  lamps  are  kept  burning 
night  and  day ;  they  serve  for  both  heating  and  lighting 
purposes,  for  the  Eskimo  docs  not  sleep  in  the  dark,  like 
other  people;  and  they  also  serve  to  niaintain  a  perma- 
nent odor  of  train-oil,  which,  as  I  have  said,  our  Euro- 
pean senses  at  first  found  not  altogether  attractive,  but 
which  they  soon  learned  not  only  to  tolerate,  but  to  take 
pleasure  in. 

As  we  sat  in  a  row  on  the  chests,  taking  stock  of  our 
strange  surroundings,  our  hosts  began   to   try  to  enter- 


92 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


If  I 

\ 

%■ 

I 


tain  us.     The  use  of  every  object  we  looked  at  was  kindly 
explained  to  us,  partly  by  means  of  words,  of  which  we 
understood   nothing,   and   partly  by  actions,  which  were 
somewhat  more  within  reach  of  our  comprehension.     In 
this  way  we    learned    that  certain   wooden    racks  which 
hung  from  the  roof  were  for  drying  clothes  on,  that  the 
substance  cooking  in  the  pots  was  seal's-flesh,  and  so  on. 
Then   they  showed   us   various  things   which   they  were 
evidently  very  proud  of.     Some  old  women  opened  a  bag, 
for  instance,  and  brought  out  a  little  bit  of  Dutch  screw- 
tobacco,  while  a  man  displayed  a  knife  with  a  long  bone- 
handle.     These   two    things   were,   no    doubt,    the   most 
notable  possessions  in  the  tent,  for  they  were  regarded  by 
all    the  company  with    especial    veneration.     Then   they 
began  to  explain  to  us  the  mutual  relations  of  the  various 
occupants  of  the  tent.     A  man  embraced  a  fat  woman, 
and  thereupon  the  pair  with  extreme  complacency  pointed 
to  some  younger  individuals,  the  whole  pantomime  givmg 
us  to  understand  that  the  party  together  formed  a  family 
of  husband,  wife,  and  children.     The  man  then  proceeded 
to  stroke  his  wife  down  the  back  and  pinch  her  here  and 
there  to  show  us  how  charming  and  delightful  she  was, 
and  how  fond  he  was  of  her,  the  process  giving  her,  at 
the  same  time,  evident  satisfaction. 

Curiously  enough,  none  of  the  men  in  this  particular 
tent  seemed  to  have  more  than  one  wife,  thouirh  it  is  a 
common  thing  among  the  east  coast  Eskimos  for  a  man  to 
keep  two  if  he  can  afford  them,  though  never  more  than 
two.  As  a  rule  the  men  are  good  to  their  wives,  and  a 
couple  may  even  be  seen  to  kiss  each  other  at  times, 
though  the  process  is  not  carried  out  on  European  lines, 
but  by  a  mutual  rubbing  of  noses.     Domestic  strife  is, 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT  93 

however,  not  unknown,  and  it  sometimes  leads  to  violent 
scenes,  the  end  of  which  generally  is  that  the  woman 
receives  either  a  vigorous  castigation  or  the  blade  of  a 
knife  in  her  arm  or  leg,  after  which  the  relation  between 
the  two  becomes  as  cordial  as  ever,  especially  if  the 
woman  has  children. 

In  our  tent  the  best  of  understandings  seem  to  prevail 
among  the  many  occupants.  Toward  us  they  were 
especially  friendly,  and  talked  incessantly,  though  it  had 
long  been  quite  clear  to  them  that  all  their  efforts  in  this 
direction  were  absolutely  thrown  away.  One  of  the 
elders  of  the  party,  who  was  evidently  a  prominent  per- 
sonage among  them,  and  probably  an  "  angekok "  or 
magician,  an  old  fellow  with  a  wily,  cunning  expression, 
and  a  more  dignified  air  than  the  rest,  managed  to  explain 
to  us  with  a  great  deal  of  trouble  that  some  of  them  had 
come  from  the  north  and  were  going  south,  while  others 
had  come  from  the  south  and  were  bound  north ;  that  the 
two  parties  had  met  here  by  accident,  that  we  had  joined 
them,  and  that  altogether  they  did  not  know  when  they 
had  had  such  a  good  time  before.  Then  he  wanted  to 
know  where  we  had  come  from,  but  this  was  not  so  easily 
managed.  We  jwinted  out  to  sea,  and  as  well  as  we 
could  tried  to  make  them  understand  that  we  had  forced 
our  way  through  the  ice,  had  reached  land  farther  south, 
and  then  worked  up  northward.  This  information  made 
our  audience  look  very  doubtful  indeed,  and  another 
chorus  of  lowing  followed,  the  conclusion  evidently  bei  'g 
that  there  was  something  supernatural  about  us.  In  this 
way  the  conversation  went  on,  and,  all  things  considered, 
we  were  thoroughly  well  entertained,  though  to  an  out- 
side observer  our  pantomimic  efforts  would,  of  course, 
have  seemed  extremely  comical. 


il 


94 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


(. 

■  i 

;■'■ 

\     : 

\       ] 

! 

\     i; 

i:    .«i 

^3     i 
!      i 


l! 


Iff 


I  will  not  be  rash  enough  to  assert  that  all  the  faces 
that  surrounded  us  were  indisputably  clean.  Most  of  them 
were,  no  doubt,  naturally  of  a  yellowish  or  brownish  hue, 
but  how  much  of  the  color  that  we  saw  in  these  very 
swarthy  countenances  was  really  genuine  we  had  no  means 
of  deciding.  In  some  cases,  and  especially  among  the  chil- 
dren, the  dirt  had  accumulated  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
was  already  passing  into  the  stage  of  a  hard  black  crust, 
which  here  and  there  had  begun  to  break  away  and  to 
show  the  true  skin  beneath.  Every  face,  too,  with  few 
exceptions,  simply  glistened  with  blubber.  Among  the 
women,  especially  the  younger  section,  who  here  as  in 
some  other  parts  of  the  world  are  incontinently  vain,  wash- 
ing is  said  to  be  not  uncommon,  and  Holm  even  accuses 
them  of  being  very  clean.  But  as  to  the  exact  nature  of 
the  process  which  leads  to  this  result  it  will  perhaps  be 
better  for  me  to  say  no  more. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  the  surroundings  and  habits 
of  these  people,  to  which  I  have  already  referred,  together 
with  many  other  practices,  which  I  have  thought  it  better 
not  to  specify,  would  have  an  extremely  repellent  effect 
upon  the  stranger.  But  this  is  by  no  means  the  case 
when  one  has  once  overcome  the  first  shock  which  the 
eccentricity  of  their  ways  is  sure  to  cause,  when  one  has 
ceased  to  notice  such  things  as  the  irrepressible  tendency 
of  their  hands  to  plunge  into  the  jungle  of  their  hair  in 
hot  pursuit,  as  their  dirt-encrusted  faces  —  a  point  on 
which,  I  may  remark,  we  ourselves  in  our  then  condition 
had  little  right  to  speak  —  and  as  the  strange  atmosphere 
in  which  they  live  ;  and  if  one  is  careful  at  first  not  to  look 
too  closely  into  their  methods  of  preparing  food,  the  gen- 
eral impression  received  is  absolutely  attractive.     There 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


95 


is  a  frank  and  homely  geniality  in  all  their  actions  which 
is  very  winning,  and  can  only  make  the  stranger  feel  thor- 
oughly comfortable  in  their  society. 

People's  notions  on  the  subject  of  good  looks  vary  so 
much  that  it  is  difficult  cO  come  to  a  satisfactory  determi- 
nation with  regard  to  these  Eskimos.  If  we  bind  ourselves 
down  to  any  established  ideal  of  beauty,  such  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  Venus  of  Milo,  the  question  is  soon  settled. 
The  east  coast  of  Greenland,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  not 
rich  in  types  of  this  kind.  But  if  we  can  only  make  an 
effort  and  free  our  critical  faculty  from  a  standard  which 
has  been  forced  upon  it  by  the  influences  of  superstition 
and  heredity,  and  can  only  agree  to  allow  that  the  thing 
which  attracts  us,  and  on  which  we  look  with  delight,  for 
these  very  reasons  possesses  the  quality  of  beauty,  then 
the  problem  becomes  very  much  more  difficult  of  solution. 
I  have  no  doubt  that,  were  one  to  live  with  these  people  for 
a  while  and  grow  accustomed  to  them,  one  would  soon 
find  many  a  pretty  face  and  many  an  attractive  feature 
among  them. 

As  it  was,  indeed,  we  saw  more  than  one  face  which  a 
European  taste  would  allow  to  be  pretty.  There  was  one 
woman  especially  who  reminded  me  vividly  of  an  acknow- 
ledged beauty  at  home  in  Norway;  and  not  only  I,  but 
one  of  my  companions  who  happened  to  know  the  proto- 
type, was  greatly  struck  by  the  likeness.  The  faces  of 
these  Eskimos  are  as  a  rule  round,  with  broad,  outstanding 
jaws,  and  are,  in  the  case  of  the  women  especially,  very 
fat,  the  cheeks  being  particularly  exuberant.  The  eyes 
are  dark  and  often  set  a  little  obliquely,  while  the  nose  is 
flat,  narrow  above,  and  broad  below.  The  whole  face  often 
looks  as  if  it  had  been  compressed  from  the  front  and 


96 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEIST  WORLD 


■  I  ; 


in 


forced  to  make  its  growth  from  the  sides.  Among  the 
women,  and  more  especially  the  children,  the  face  is  so  flat 
that  one  could  almost  lay  a  ruler  across  from  cheek  to 
cheek  without  touching  the  nose ;  indeed,  now  and  atrain 
one  will  see  a  child  whose  nose  really  forms  a  depression 
in  the  face  rather  than  the  reverse.  It  will  be  understood 
from  this  that  many  of  these  people  show  no  si,;ns  of  ap- 
proaching the  luu'opean  standard  of  good  looks,  but  it  is 
not  exactly  in  this  direction  that  the  Eskimo's  attractions, 
generally  speaking,  really  lie.  At  the  same  time  there  is 
something  kindly,  genial,  and  complacent  in  his  stubby, 
dumpy,  oily  features  which  is  quite  irresistible. 

Their  hands  and  feet  alike  are  unusually  small  and  well- 
shaped.     Their  hair  is  absolutely  black,  and  quite  straight, 
resembling  horse-hair.     The  men  often  tie  it  back  from 
the  forehead  with  a  string  of  beads  and   leave  it  to  fall 
do'vn  over  the  s1',oulders.     Some  who  have  no  such  band 
have  it  cut  above  the  forehead  or  round  the  whole  head 
with  the  jawbone  of  a  shark,  as  their  superstitions  will  not 
allow  them  on  any  account  to  let  iron  come  into  contact 
with  it,  even  when  the  doubtful  course  of  having  it  cut  at 
all  has  been  resolved  upon.     But,  curiously  enough,  a  man 
who  has  begun  to  cut  his  hair  in   his  youth  must  necessa- 
rily continue  the  practice  all  his  life.     The  women  tiather 
their  hair  up  from  behind  and  tie  it  with  a  strijj  of  seal- 
skin into  a  cone,  which  must  stand  as  perpendicularly  as 
possible.     This  convention  is,  of  course,  especially  strin- 
gent in  the  case  of  the  young  unmarried  women,  who,  to 
obtain  the  desired  result,  tie  their  hair  back  from  the  fore- 
head and  temples  so  tigh,tly  that  by  degrees  it  gradually 
gives  way,  and  they  become  bald  at  a  very  early  age.     A 
head  which  has  felt  the  effects  of  this  treatment  is  no 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


97 


attractive  sight,  but  the  victim  in  such  cases  has  generally 
been  a  long  time  married  and  settled  in  life,  and  the  dis- 
advantage is  therefore  not  so  keenly  felt. 

After  we  had  been  sitting  in  the  tent  for  a  while,  one  of 


CIMO    HEAUTY,    FROM    THK    KAST   COAsT,    IN    HKR   OI.H  AGE 
Nielsen,  from  a  photograph  taken  by  the  Danish  "  Konebaad"  expedition) 

the  elders  of  the  company,  the  old  man  with  the  unat- 
tractive expression,  of  whom  I  have  already  spoken,  rose 
and  went  out.  Presently  he  came  in  again  with  a  long  line 
of  seal-skin,  which,  as  he  sat  on  the  bench,  he  began  to  un- 
roll. I  regarded  this  performance  with  some  wonder,  as  I 
could  not  imagine  what  was  going  to  happen.  Then  he 
brought  out  a  knife,  cut  off  a  long  piece,  and,  rising,  gave 
it  to  one  of  us.     Then  he  cut  off  another  piece  of  equal 


98 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


vi 


I*    .^ 


length  and  gave  it  to  another,  and  the  process  v^as  re- 
peated till  we  all  six  were  alike  provided.  When  he  had 
finished  his  distribution  he  smiled  and  beamed  at  us,  in 
his  abundant  satisfaction  with  himself  and  the  world  at 

large.  Then  another  of  them  went  out, 
came  back  with  a  similar  line,  and  dis- 
tributed it  in  like  manner  ;  whereupon 
a  third  followed  his  example,  and  so 
the  game  was  kept  going  till  w^  were 
each  of  us  provided  with  four  or  five 
pieces  of  seal-skin  line.  Poor  things  ! 
they  gave  us  ''hat  they  could,  and  what 
they  thought  would  be  useful  to  u.. 
It  was  the  kind  of  line  they  use,  when 
seal-catching,  to  connect  the  point  of 
the  harpoon  to  the  bladder  which  pre- 
vents the  secJ  from  escaping,  and  it 
is  astonishingly  strong. 

After  this  exhibition  of  liberality  we 
sat  for  a  time  looking  at  one  another,  and  I  expected  that 
our  hosts  would  show  by  signs  their  desire  for  something 
in  return.  After  a  while,  too,  the  old  man  did  get  up  and 
produce  something  which  he  evidently  kept  as  a  possession 
of  great  price  and  rarity.  It  was  nothing  else  than  a  clumsy, 
rusty  old  rifle,  wath  the  strangest  contrivance  in  the  way  of 
a  hammer  that  it  has  ever  been  my  good  luck  to  see.  It 
consisted  of  a  huge,  unwieldy  piece  of  iron,  in  which 
there  was  a  finger-hole  to  enable  the  user  to  cock  it.  As 
I  afterwards  found,  this  is  the  ordinary  form  of  rifle  on 
the  west  coast  of  Greenland,  and  it  is  specially  constructed 
for  use  in  the  "  kaiak."  After  the  old  man  had  shown  us 
this  curiosity,  and  we  had  duly  displayed  our  admiration, 


KSKIMO    l;oV,   Fli  iM     I'llK 
CAMP   AT    I'UKl'    lillJ.E 


AN    ''SKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


99 


^4 


he  made  us  understand  by  some  very  unmistakable  ges- 
tures that  hp  had  nothing  to  put  in  it.  At  first  I  pre- 
tended not  to  grasp  his  meaning,  but,  this  insincerity 
being  oi  no  avail,  I  v;as  obliged  to  make  it  plain  to  him 
that  we  had  nothing  to  give  him  i  the  way  of  ammuni- 
tion. This  intimation  he  received  with  a  very  disappointed 
and  dejected  air,  and  he  went  at  once  and  put  his  rifle 
away. 

None  of  the  others  showed  by  the  slightest  token  that 
they  expected  anything  in  return  for  their  presents.  They 
were  all  friendliness  and  hospitality,  though  no  doubt 
there  was  a  notion  lurking  somewhere  in  the  background 
that  their  liberality  would  not  prove  unproductive,  and,  of 
course,  we  lid  not  fail  to  fulfil  our  share  of  the  transac- 
tion nex  uay.  The  hospitality,  indeed,  of  this  desolate 
coast  is  quite  unbounded.  A  man  will  receive  his  worst 
enemy,  treat  him  well,  and  entertain  him  for  months,  if 
circumstances  throw  him  in  his  way.  The  nature  of  their 
surroundings  and  the  wandering  life  which  they  lead  have 
forced  them  to  offer  and  accept  universal  hospitality,  and 
the  habit  has  gradually  become  a  law  among  them. 

After  we  considered  we  had  been  long  enough  in  the 
tent  we  went  out-  into  the  fresh  air  again,  and  chose  as  our 
camping-ground  for  the  night  a  flat  ledge  of  rock  close  to 
the  landing-place.  We  then  began  to  bring  our  things 
ashore,  but  at  once  a  crowd  of  natives  rushed  for  our 
boats,  and  were  soon  busy  moving  our  boxes  and  bags 
up  on  to  the  rocks.  Every  object  caused  an  admiring 
outburst,  and  our  willing  helpers  laughed  and  shouted  in 
their  glee,  and  altogether  enjoyed  themselves  amazingly. 
The  delight  and  admiration  thpt  greeted  the  big  tin  boxes 
in  which  much  of  our  provender  was  packed  were  espe- 


lOO 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


• 


ii 


Hi 


cially  unmanageable,  and  the  tins  were  each  passed  round 
from  hand  to  hand,  and  every  edge  and  corner  carefully 
and  minutely  examined. 

As  soon  as  the  boats  were  empty  we  proposed  to  drag 
them  up,  but  here  again  all  insisted  on  giving  their  help. 
The  painter  was  brought  ashore,  manned  by  a  long  line 
stretching  far  up  the  rocks,  and  the  boats  hauled  up  each 
by  the  united  efforts  of  twenty  or  thirty  men.  This  was 
splendid  sport,  and  when  one  of  us  started  the  usual 
sailor's  chorus  to  get  them  to  work  together,  the  enthusi- 
asm reached  its  height. 

They  joined    in,  grown  folk    and   children    alike,  and 
laughed    till    they    could    scarcely   pull.     They    plainly 
thought  us  the  most  amusing  lot  of  people  they  had  ever 
seen.     When  the  boats  were  safe  ashore  we  proceeded  to 
pitch  our  tent,  an  operation  which  engaged  all  their  atten- 
tion, for  nothing  can  interest  an  Eskimo  so  much  as  any 
performance  which  belongs  to  his  own  mode  of  life,  such 
as  tlie  management  of  tents  and  boats  and  such  things. 
Here    their    astonishment  does  not    overcome  them,  for 
they  can    fully  understand  what    is   going    on.     In    this 
case  they  could  thus  admire  to   the  full  the  speedy  way 
in  which  we  managed  to  pitch  our  little  tent,  which  was 
so  much  simpler  a  contrivance  than  their  great  compli- 
cated wigwams,  though  at   the  same  time  it  was  not  so 
warm. 

Our  clothes,  too,  and,  above  all,  the  Lapps'  dress,  came 
in  for  their  share  of  admiration.  The  tall,  square  ca|)s, 
with  their  four  horns,  and  the  tunics  with  their  long,  wide 
skirts  and  edging  of  red  and  yellow,  struck  them  as  most 
remarkable,  but  still  more  astonished  were  they,  of  course, 
in  the  evening,  when  the  two   Lapps  made  their  appear- 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


lOI 


ance  in  their  reindeer-skin  pelisses.  All  must  needs  go 
and  feel  them  and  examine  them,  and  stroke  the  hair  of 
this  wonderful  skin,  nothing  like  which  they  had  ever 
seen  before.  It  was  not  seal-skin,  it  was  noi.  bear-skin, 
nor  was  it  fox-skin.  "  Could  it  be  dog-skin .? "  they 
asked,  pointing  to  their  canine  companions.  When  we 
explained  that  it  was  nothing  of  that  kind  they  could  get 
no  further,  for  their  powers  of  imagination  had  reached 


\  ■•  ^ 


\ 


KHKIMOS,    1  ROM    TMK   (AMP    AT   CAI'r.    IlIl.LE 
(Fraiii  It  fhotografh) 

their  limit.  Balto  now  began  to  gibber  and  make  some 
very  significant  movements  with  his  hands  about  his 
head,  with  the  idea  of  representing  reindeer  horns,  but 
this  awoke  no  response.  Evidently  they  had  never  seen 
reindeer,  which  do  not  occur  on  that  part  of  the  east 
coast  which  thev  frequent. 


I02 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


I         J 


I 


Then  we  distributed  the  evening  rations,  and  ate  our 
supper  sitting  at  the  tent-door,  and  surrounded  by  specta- 
tors. Men,  women,  and  children  stood  there  in  a  rine 
many  ranks  deep,  closely  watching  the  passage  of  every 
morsel  of  biscuit  to  our  lips  and  its  subsequent  consump- 
tion. Though  their  mouths  watered  to  overflowing  at 
the  sight  of  these  luxuries,  we  were  constrained  to  take 
no  notice.  We  had  no  more  in  the  way  of  bread  than  we 
actually  needed,  and,  had  we  made  a  distribution  through- 
out all  this  hungry  crowd,  our  store  would  have  been 
much  reduced.  But  to  sit  there  and  devour  one's  biscuits 
under  the  fire  of  all  their  eyes  was  not  pleasant. 

Our  meal  over,  we  went  and  had  a  look  round  the 
encampment.  Down  by  the  water  were  a  number  of 
"  kaiaks  "  and  a  few  specimens  of  tiie  "  umiak  "  or  large 
skin-boat,  which  (\specially  interested  me.  On^^  of  the 
men  was  particularly  anxious  to  show  me  everything. 
Whatever  caught  my  eye,  he  at  once  proceeded  to  ex- 
plain the  use  of  by  signs  and  gestures.  Above  all,  he 
insisted  ow  my  examining  his  own  "  kaiak,"  which  was 
handsomely  ornamented  with  bone,  and  all  his  weapons, 
which  were  in  excellent  condition  and  profusely  deco- 
rated. His  great  pride  was  his  harpoon,  which,  as  he 
showed  me  triumj)hantly.  had  a  long  i)oint  of  narwhal 
tusk.  He  exj^lained  to  me,  too,  very  clearly  the  use  of 
the  th rowing-stick,  and  how  much  additional  force  could 
be  given  to  the  harpoon  by  its  heljx  Every  Eskimo  is 
especially  proud  of  his  weapons  and  "kaiak,"  and  expends 
a  large  amount  of  work  on  their  adornment. 

By  this  time  the  sun  had  set  and  the  night  fallen,  and 
consequently  the  elements  of  weirdness  and  unreality 
which  had  all  the  time  pervaded  this  scene,  with  its  sur- 


1 


AN  ESKIMO   ENCAMPMENT 


103 


\ 


roundings  of  snow  and  ice  and  curious  human  adjuncts, 
were  now  still  more  predominant  and  striking.  Dark 
forms  flitted  backward  and  forward  among  the  rocks, 
and  the  outlines  of  the  women  with  their  babies  on  their 
backs  were  especially  picturesque.  From  every  tenL-door 
through  the  transparent  curtain  shone  a  red  glow  of  light, 
which  with  !  .  suggestions  of  warmth  and  comfort  led  the 
fancy  to  very  different  scenes.  The  resemblance  to 
colored  lamps  and  Chinese  lanterns  brought  to  one's 
mind  the  illuminated  gardens  and  summer  festivities 
away  at  home,  but  behind  these  curtains  there  lived  a 
happy  and  contented  race,  quite  as  happy,  perhaps,  as 
any  to  which  our  thoughts  turned  across  the  sea. 

Then  bed-time  drew  near,  and  the  rest  we  sorely 
needed  after  the  scanty  sleep  of  the  last  few  days.  So 
we  spread  our  sleeping-bags  upon  the  tent-floor  and  be- 
gan the  usual  preparations.  But  here  again  our  move- 
ments aroused  the  keenest  interest,  and  a  deep  ring  of 
onlookers  soon  gathered  round  the  door.  The  removal 
of  our  garments  was  watched  with  attention  by  men  and 
women  alike,  and  with  no  sign  of  embarrassment,  except 
on  our  ])art.  Our  disappearance  one  by  one  into  the 
bags  caused  the  most  amusement,  and  when  at  last  the 
expedition  had  no  more  to  show  than  six  heads,  the  door 
of  the  tent  was  drawn  to  and  the  final  "Good-night" 
said. 

That  night  we  could  sleep  free  from  care  and  without 
keeping  watch,  and  it  was  a  good  night's  rest  we  had,  in 
si)ite  of  l)arking  dogs  and  other  disturbances.  It  was  late 
when  we  woke  and  heard  the  b'skimos  moving  busily 
about  outside.  Peeping  through  the  chinks  of  the  door, 
we  could  sec  them  impatiently  pacing  up  and  down,  and 


I 


104 


NANSEN  m  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\\ 


\   ■■  '8    ■:  t 


Ilfi 


waiting  for  the  tent  to  be  thrown  open  again  that  they 
might  once  more  feast  their  eyes  on  all  the  marvels  hid- 
den inside.  We  noticed  to-day,  and  we  supposed  it  was 
m  our  honor,  that  they  were  all  arrayed  in  their  best 
clothes.  Their  clean  white  frocks,  made  of  the  same  thin 
membraneous  skin  as  the  tent  curtains,  shone  as  brilliantly 
as  clean  linen  in  the  distance,  as  their  wearers  walked  up 
and  down  and  admired  their  own  magnificence.  Down 
by  our  boats,  too,  we  saw  a  whole  congregation,  some 
sitting  inside  and  others  standing  around.  Every  imple- 
ment and  every  fitting  was  handled  and  carefully  scru- 
tinized, but  nothing  disturbed  or  injured. 

Then  came  the  opening  of  the  door,  and  forthwith  a 
closely  packed  ring  of  ^  spectators  gathered  around,  head 
appearing  above  head,  and  row  behind  row,  to  see  us 
lying  in  our  bags,  our  exit  thence,  and  gradual  reinstate- 
ment in  our  clothes.  Of  all  our  apparel,  that  which 
excited  most  wonder  and  astonishment  was  a  colored  belt 
of  Christiansen's,  a  belt  resplendent  with  beads  and  huo-e 
brass  buckle.  This  must  needs  be  handled  and  examined 
by  each  and  all  in  turn,  and  of  course  produced  the  usual 
concerted  bellow.  Then  our  breakfast  of  biscuits  and 
water  was  consumed  in  the  same  silence  and  amid  the 
same  breathless  interest  as  our  supper  of  the  night 
before. 

After  breakfast  we  walked  about  the  place,  for  we  had 
determined  to  enjoy  life  for  this  one  morning  and  see 
what  we  could  of  these  people  before  we  left  them.  I 
had  tried,  unnoticed,  to  take  a  photograj^h  of  the  ring 
which  thronged  our  tent-door,  but  as  I  brought  the 
camera  to  bear  u|)on  the  crowd  some  of  them  saw  my 
manceuvre,  and   a  stampede  began,  as   if  they  feared  a 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


105 


discharge  of  missiles  or  other  sorcery  from  the  apparatus. 
I  now  tried  to  catch  a  group  who  were  sitting  on  the 
rocks,  but  again  with  the  same  result.  So  the  only  expe- 
dient was  to  turn  my  face  away,  and  by  pretending  to  be 


XMI' 


!''i'i'|VV 


'':tiii*v-~. 

\  'I'll  "^- '  4^^'^'  ? ' 


N^ 


"OUTSIDE   ONE    LlTl  I,E   TENT    I    FOUND   AN    UNUSUALLY    SOCIABLE    WOMAN" 
(By  E.  Nielsen,  from  a  photograph) 

otherwise  engaged  to  distract  the  attention  of  my  victims 
and  meanwhile  secure  some  pictures. 

Then  I  took  a  tour  round  the  camping-ground  with  my 
camera.  Outside  one  little  tent,  which  stood  somewhat 
isolated,  I  found  an  unusually  sociable  woman,  ap])arently 
the  m.istress  of  the  establishment.  She  was  relatively 
young,  of  an  attractive  apj^earance  altogether,  with  a  smil- 
ing face  and  a  pair  of  soft,  obliquely  set  eyes,  which  she 
made  use  of  in  a  jiarticularly  arch  and  engaging  way. 
Her  dress  was  certainly  not  elegant,  but  this  defect  was, 
no  doubt,  due  to  her  established  position  as  a  married 


I 


io6 


^rANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


I.  i    ;f' 

l<  2    Li' 


i 


Ull 


il 


I 


woman,  and  must  not   be  judged  too  harshly.     In   her 
"  amaut,"  a  garment  which  forms  a  kind  of  hood  or  bacr 
behmd,  she  had  a  swarthy  baby,  which  she  seemed  very 
fond  of,  and  which,  hke  many  of  the  mothers,  she  did  her 
best  to  mduce  to  open  its  black  eyes  and  contemplate  my 
insignificance.     This  was  partly,  no  doubt,  the  flattery  of 
the  coquette  ;  on  the  whole  we  got  on  very  well  together 
and   unperceived    I   secured  several   photographs,  "xhen 
the  master  came  out  of  the  tent,  and  showed  no  sign  of 
surprise  at  finding  his  wife  in  so  close  converse  w'ith  a 
stranger.     He   had    evidently   been   asleep,  for  he  could 
hardly  keep  his  eyes  open  in  the  light,  and  had  to  resort 
to  a  shade,  or  rather  some  big  snow-spectacles  of  wood 
He  was  a  strongly-built  man,  with  an  honest,  straio-htfor- 
ward  look,  was  very  friendly,  and  showed  me  a  number  of 
his  things.     He  was  especially  proud  of  his  "  kaiak  "  hat 
which  he  insisted  on  my  putting  on  my  head,  while  he 
meantime   unceremoniousV    arrayed   himself    in   my  cap 
rhis  performance  was  little  to  my  taste,  as  it  was  quite 
uncertain  what  would  be  the  result  of  the  exchange  to  me 
I  hen  he  took  me  to  see  his  big  boat  or  "  umiak,"  as  well 
as  other  of  his  possessions,  and  we  parted. 

I  went  on,  and  looked  into  some  other  tents.  In  one 
of  them  I  found  two  girls  who  had  just  taken  a  big  gull 
out  of  a  cooking-pot,  and  were  beginning  to  devout  it 
each  at  work  with  her  teeth  on  one  end  of  the  body,  and 
both  beaming  with  delight  and  self-satisfaction.  The  bird 
still  had  most  of  its  feathers  on,  but  that  did  not  seem  to 
trouDle  them  much.  Perhaps,  after  the  manner  of  the 
owl,  they  subsequently  ejected  them. 

Some  of  the  women  had  noticed  that  the  Lapps  used 
the  peculiar  grass  known  as  "  sennegra^s,"  which  the  Eski- 


\« 


lifi 


AA^  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


107 


ler 


gull 


mos  also  use,  in  their  boots,  and  they  now  brought  each 
of  us  a  huge  supply  of  the  commodity,  smiling  most  co- 
quettishly  as  they  made  their  offering.  We  expressed 
our  thanks,  of  course,  by  an  equally  lavish  display  of 
smiles.  Then  they  began  to  inquire,  by  means  of  signs, 
whether  we  had  no  needles  to  give  them  in  return.  I 
could  have  gratified  them,  certainly,  since  I  had  brought 
a  number  of  these  articles  of  barter,  which  are  much 
prized  on  the  east  coast.  But  my 
real  object  was  to  keep  them  in 
case  we  had  to  spend  the  winter  in 
these  parrs,  in  which  case  they  would 
have  proved  invaluable.  So  I  told 
them  that  we  could  not  let  them 
have  any  needles  in  exchange  for 
their  grass,  and  gave  them  instead 
a  tin  which  had  had  preserved  meat 
in.  This  made  them  simply  wild 
with  delight,  and  with  sparkling 
eyes  they  went  off  to  show  the 
others  their  new  acquisition.  The 
grass  came  in  very  handy  for  the 
two  Lapps,  whose  store  was  run- 
ning short,  and  without  this  grass 
in  his  shoes  a  Lapp  is  never  thor- 
oughly comfortable.  They  had  a 
deal  to  say,  too,  about  this  Eskimo 
"  sennegrcTs."  The  fact  that  these  people  had  sense 
enough  to  use  the  grass  impressed  Ravna  and  Balto  to  a 
certain  extent,  but  they  declared  it  had  been  gathered  at 
the  wrong  time  of  year,  being  winter  grass  taken  with 
the  frost  on  it,  instead  of  being  cut  fresh  and  then  dried, 


THEN    THE    MASTER    CAME 
OUT   (JK   THE   TENT  " 

(From  a  photograph) 


I 


l<     'I-', 

1 


m 


In 


■  n 


■ 


III 


1 08 


ArA.VS£J\r  m  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


m  accordance  with  the  practice  of  rational  beings  It 
was  of  httle  use  to  point  out  to  them  that  it  was  not  the 
h.v.,t  o  the  Eskimo  to  lay  up  greater  stores  of  such 
thmgs  than  he  actually  needed  to  keep  him  goin<r 

But  the  fme  of  our  departure  drew  near,  and  we  began 
by  degrees  to  make  our  preparations.     A  man  now  came 
up  to  us  and  asked  whether  we  were  going  northward. 
At   our  answer   in    the  affirmative    his   face   brightened 
amazuigly,  and  it  proved  that  he  was  bound  in  tl^e  same 
dn-ect,on  w,th  his  party,  to  whom  he  went  at  once  and 
announced   the  news.     The  camp  was   now  a  scene  of 
lively  confusion,  and,  while  we  and  the  Eskimos  vied  with 
one  another  in  our  haste  to  strike-  our  tents,  launch  our 
boats,  and  stow  our  goods,  the  dogs,  who  well  knew  what 
was  m  progress,  expended  their  energy  i„  a  howling  com- 
petition.  '^ 

As  the  tent  we  had  spent  the  preceding  evening  in  was 
going  southward,  it  was  necessary  that  we  should  .0  and 
make  some  return  for  the  presents  we  had  received  So 
wth  a  number  of  empty  meat-tins  I  went  in  and  found  a 
party  o  half-naked  men  taking  a  meal.  ,  gave  thlm  one 
each,  whtch  delighted   them   hugely,  and  ^ome  Tthe 

vessels.     Outside  I  found  the  posses.sor  of  the  rifle  wh^ 

or  ,t.     But  when  [  presented  him  with  a  large  tin  instead 
he  expressed  perfect  contentment  and  gratification 

in  Ir  O'  ;r'™'f  ""'^  ■*""  ^'-™  '-'"^>  P-^ck«l  away 
>»  "'e  boats.  It  was  mdeed  qiu'te  astonishing  to  see  the 
SI    ed  w„     which  these  Eskimos  made  ready  f;r  a  join  y 

though,  of  course,  there  were  a  great  number  of  helping 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT  109 

hands.  We  had  almost  finished  our  preparations  too, 
when  a  salt-box  was  pleased  to  discharge  its  contents  in 
the  middle  of  one  of  the  provision-bags.  This  had  to  be 
seen  to  at  once,  and  the  Eskimos  consequently  started 
before  us.  Two  of  the  boats  set  oi¥  on  their  southward 
journey,  and  two  more  presently  disappeared  behind  the 
first  point  of  rock  to  the  north.  The  company  of  "  kai- 
akers,"  however,  were  still  left,  as  they  stayed  behind  to 
bid  each  other  a  more  tender  farewell,  before  they  parted, 
perhaps,  for  a  separation  of  some  years.  This  leave-tak- 
ing gave  rise  to  one  of  the  most  comical  scenes  I  have 
ever  witnessed.  There  were  altogether  a  dozen  or  more 
of  their  little  canoes,  and  they  all  now  ranged  up  side  by 
side,  dressed  as  evenly  as  a  squad  of  soldiers.  This  ex- 
traordinary manoeuvre  roused  my  attention,  of  course,  and 
I  could  not  imagine  what  it  purported.  I  was  not  left 
long  in  ignorance,  however,  for  the  snuff-horns  were  pres- 
ently produced,  and  the  most  extravagant  excesses  fol- 
lowed. Their  horns  were  opened  and  thrust  up  their 
noses  again  and  again,  till  every  nostril  must  have  been 
absolutely  filled  with  snuff.  Several  horns  were  in  circu- 
lation, and  each  came  at  least  twice  I.0  every  man,  so  that 
the  quantity  consumed  may  well  be  imagined.  I  wanted 
to  photograph  them,  but  lost  time  and  could  not  bring 
my  camera  to  bear  upon  them  before  the  line  was  broken, 
and  some  of  the  canoes  already  speeding  away  southward 
among  the  floes. 

This  general  treating  with  snuff  ij;  the  mode  in  which 
the  Eskimos  take  leave  of  one  another,  and  is  a  very 
similar  performance  to  the  ceremonious  dram-drinking 
among  our  peasants  at  home.  In  this  particular  case 
only  those  who  had  come  from  the  south  had  anything  to 


I 


lit  ^'! 


no 


li  i    ■ 

III  i 


m 


.VANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Stand  treat  with.  They  were  evidently  fresh  from  the 
Danish  colonies  beyond  Cape  Farewell,  as  their  abundant 
supply  of  snuff  proved,  while  the  others  were  probably 
bound  south  on  a  similar  errand.  These  pilgrimages 
occur  unfortunately  too  often,  though  their  emporiiun  lies 
at  no  trifling  distance  —  a  „ouple  of  years'  journey,  in 
fact,  for  those  who  live  farthest  up  the  coast. 

One  would  almost  expect  that  so  long  a  journey  would 


til  i 


1    -^ 


f     \ 


■ 


"THE   Ll.NE    WAS    IIKOKEN,    AND    SOMK   OK   THK   CAXOES   ALREADY   SPEEDING 

AWAY   SOUTHWARD  AMONr.    THE    FI.OES " 

(From  a  photograph) 

be  followed  by  a  long  stay  at  the  place  of  business.  But 
this  is  not  the  case,  and  the  Eskimo,  in  fact,  spends  little 
more  time  over  his  periodical  shopping  than  a  lady  of  the 
world  over  a  similar,  but  daily,  visit.  In  half  an  hour,  or 
an  hour  perhaps,  he  has  often  finished,  and  then  disap- 
pears again  on  his  long  journey  home.  A  shopping 
expedition  of  this  kind  will  therefore  often  take  four  years 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


III 


at  least,  and  consequently  a  man's  opportunities  in  this 
way  in  the  course  of  a  lifetime  are  very  limited.  These 
are  quite  enough,  however,  to  produce  a  mischievous 
effect.  One  is  apt  to  suppose  that  it  is  the  want  of  cer- 
tam  useful  things,  otherwise  unattainable,  that  urges  them 
to  these  long  journeys ;  but  this  is  scarcely  so,  for  the  real 
incentive  is  without  doubt  a  craving  for  tobacco.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  they  do  buy  some  useful  things,  like  iron, 
which  they  get  chiefly  in  the  form  of  old  hoops,  but  they 
really  have  a  good  supply  of  such  things  already,  they  do 
not  use  them  much,  and  they  are  not  absolutely  necessary. 
Most  of  their  purchases  are  things  which  are  either  alto- 
gether valueless  or  else  actually  injurious, 

Among  the  latter  must  especially  be  reckoned  tobacco, 
which  is  the  commodity  of  all  others  most  desired,  and 
which  they  take  in  the  form  of  snuff.  Smoking  and 
chewing  are  unknown  on  this  coast,  but  their  absence  is 
made  up  for  by  all  the  greater  excess  in  snuff-taking,  the 
indulgence  in  which  is  quite  phenomenal.  They  buy 
their  tobacco  in  the  form  of  twist,  and  prepare  it  them- 
selves, by  drying  it  well,  breaking  it  up,  and  grinding  it 
fine  on  stone.  Powdered  calcspar  or  quartz  or  other  rock 
is  often  added  to  the  snuff  to  make  it  go  further,  and  to 
increase,  it  is  said,  the  irritating  effect  upon  the  mucous 
membrane. 

In  addition  to  tobacco  they  buy  other  things  which 
certainly  have  an  injurious  effect  upon  them,  such  as, 
for  instance,  tea.  Coffee,  curiously  enough,  these  people 
have  not  learned  to  like,  though  this  drink  is  bliss  jeles- 
tial  to  the  west-coast  Eskimos. 

It  is  truly  fortunate  that  they  have  no  opportunity  of 
getting  spirits,  as  the  sale  is  abso.c.cely  prohibited  by  the 


ri2 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Danish  Government.  Of  other  European  products,  they 
buy  biscuits,  flour,  peas,  which  they  are  particularly  fond 
of,  and  similar  things.  Articles  of  clothing,  too,  are  in 
great  demand,  such  as  thick  jerseys  from  the  Faroe 
Islands,  cotton  stuffs  for  outer  tunics,  and  material  out  of 
which  they  can  make  hats ;  old  European  clothes  are 
highly  valued,  and  they  have  an  idea  that  when  they  can 
dress  themselves  out  in  these  worn-out  rubbishy  garments 
they  cut  a  far  finer  figure  than  when  they  content  them- 
selves with  their  own  warm  and  becoming  dress  of  seal- 
skin. 

In  exchange  for  such  things,  which  are  of  little  value 
to  us  and  of  still  less  real  worth  to  them,  they  give  fine 
large  bear-skins,  fox-skins,  and  seal-skins,  which  they 
ought  to  keep  for  their  own  clothes  and  the  other  nu- 
merous purposes  for  which  they  can  be  used.  It  is,  of 
course,  unnecessary  to  remark  how  much  better  it  would 
be  if  these  poor  Eskimos,  instead  of  decking  themselves 
out  in  European  rags,  would  keep  their  skins  for  them- 
selves, and  confine  themselves  to  those  regions  where 
they  have  their  homes,  instead  of  straying  to  the  outskirts 
of  European  luxury  and  civilization. 

When  the  Eskimos  have  at  length  consumed  their  pur- 
chases and  must  needs  return  to  the  old  manner  of  life, 
the  net  result  is  that  they  have  lost  a  number  of  useful 
possessions  and  have  acquired  a  feeling  of  want  and  long- 
ing for  a  number  of  unnecessary  things.  This  is,  in  fact, 
the  usual  way  that  the  blessings  of  civilization  first  make 
them    Ives  felt  upon  the  uncivilized. 


\ 


ducts,  they 
ilarly  fond 
too,  are  in 
the  Faroe 
:rial  out  of 
:lothes  are 
1  they  can 
J  garments 
tent  them- 
ss  of  seal- 
little  value 
^  give  fine 
hich    they 

other  nu- 

It  is,  of 

r  it  would 

:hemselves 

for  them- 
)ns  where 
e  outskirts 

their  pur- 
ler of  life, 
r  of  useful 
and  long- 
is,  in  fact, 
first  make 


I 


CHAPTER    VII  » 

THE    CROSSING    OF   THE     INLAND    ICE THE     FIRST    SIGHT 

OF    LAND    AND    FIRSr    DRINK    OF    WATER 

As  the  middle  of  September  approached,  we  hoped 
every  day  to  arrive  at  the  beginning  of  the  western  slope. 
To  judge  from  our  reckoning  it  could  not  be  far  off, 
though  I  had  a  suspicion  that  this  reckoning  was  some 
way  ahead  of  our  observations.  These,  however,  I  pur- 
posely omitted  to  work  out,  as  the  announcement  that  we 
had  not  advanced  as  far  as  we  supposed  would  have  been 
a  bitter  disappointment  to  most  -'  the  party.  Their  ex- 
pectations of  soon  getting  the  .rst  sight  of  land  on  the 
western  side  were  at  their  height,  and  they  pushed  on 
confidently,  while  I  kept  my  doubts  to  myself  and  left 
the  reckoning  as  it  was. 

On  September  1 1  the  fall  of  the  ground  Has  just  appre- 
ciable, the  theodolite  showing  it  to  be  about  a  third  of  a 
degree.  On  September  12  I  entered  in  my  diary  that 
"we  are  all  in  capital  spirits,  and  hope  for  a  speedy 
change  for  the  better,  Bujto  and  Dietrichson  being  even 
confident  that  we  shall  see  land  to-day.  They  will  need 
some  patience,  however,  as  we  are  still  9,000  feet  above 
the  sea  "  (we  were  really  about  8,250  feet  that  day),  "  but 
they  will  not  have  to  wait  very  long.  This  morning  our 
reckoning  made  us  out  to  be  about  seventy-five  miles 
from  bare  land,  i...d  the  groun  !  is  falling  well  and  con- 

^  From  Nansen's  Across  Greenland. 
8 


114 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


tinuously."  The  next  day  or  two  the  slope  grew  more 
and  more  distinct,  but  the  incHne  was  not  regular,  as  the 
ground  fell  in  great  undulations,  like  those  we  had  had 
to  climb  in  the  course  of  our  ascent. 

On  September  14  the  reckoning  showed  that  it  was 
only  about  thirty-five  miles  to  land.  But  even  now  we 
could  see  nothing,  which  the  Lapps  thought  was  very 
suspicious.  Ravna's  face  began  to  get  longer  and  longer, 
and  one  evening  about  this  time  he  said,  "  I  am  an  old 
Lapp,  and  a  silly  old  fool,  too ;  I  don't  believe  we  shall 
ever  get  to  the  coast."  I  only  answered,  "  That  *s  quite 
true,  Ravna;  you  are  a  silly  old  fool."  Whereupon  he 
burst  out  laughing  :  "  So  it 's  quite  true,  is  it  —  Ravna  is 
a  silly  old  fool  ?  "  and  he  evidently  felt  quite  consoled  by 
this  doubtful  compliment.  These  expressions  of  anxiety 
on  Ravna's  part  were  very  common. 

Another  day  Balto  suddenly  broke  out:  "  But  how  on 
earth  can  any  one  tell  how  far  it  is  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  when  no  one  has  been  across  ?  "  It  was,  of  cou'-se, 
difficult  to  make  him  understand  the  mode  of  calculation  ; 
but,  with  his  usual  intelligence,  he  seemed  to  form  some 
idea  of  the  truth  one  day  when  I  showed  him  the  process 
on  the  map.  The  best  consolation  we  could  gi\e  Balto 
and  Ravna  was  to  laugh  at  them  well  for  their  cowardice. 
The  very  pronounced  fall  of  the  ground  on  September 
17  certainly  was  a  comfort  to  us  all,  and  when  the  ther- 
mometer that  evening  just  failed  to  reach  zero  we  found 
the  temperature  quite  mild,  and  felt  that  we  had  entered 
the  abodes  of  summer  again.  It  was  now  only  nine  miles 
or  so  to  land  by  our  reckoning. 

It  was  this  very  day  two  months  that  we  had  left  the 
Jason.     This  happened  to  be  one  of  our  butter-mornings. 


III 


THE   CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE  u^ 

o 

the  very  gladdest  mornings  of  our  existence  at  the  time, 
and  breakfast  in  bed  with  a  good  cup  of  tea  brought  the 
whole   party  into  an  excellent  humor.     It  was  the  first 
time,  too,  for  a  long  while  that  the  walls  of  our  tent  had 
not   been    decorated  with   fringes   of   hoar-frost.     As  we 
were  at  breakfast  we  were  no  little  astonished  to  hear,  as 
we    thought,   the    twittering  of   a  bird   outside ;  but   the 
sound  soon  stopped,  and  we  were  not  at  all  certain  of  its 
reality.     But   as  we  were    starting  again    after  our   one 
o'clock  dinner    that  day  we    suddenly  became    aware    of 
twitterings  in  the  air,  and,  as  we  stopped,  sure   enough 
we  saw  a   snow-bunting   come  flying  after  us.     It  w^an- 
dered   round  us   two  or  three  times,  and  plainly  showed 
signs  of  a  wish  to  sit  ujjon  one  of  our  sledges.     But  the 
necessary   audacity   was   not  forthcoming,  and    it    finally 
settled  on   the  snow  in  front  for  a  few  \noments,  before 
it  flew  away   for   good    with    another   encouraging    little 
twitter. 

Welcome,  indeed,  this  little  bird   was.     It  gave   us  a 

friendly  greeting  from  the  land  we  were  sure  'must  now 

be  near.     The  believers  in  good  angels  and  their  doings 

must  inevitably  have  seen  such  in  the  forms  of  these  two 

snow-buntings,  the    one   which  bade  us  farewell  on    the 

eastern  side,  and  that  which  offered  us  a  welcome  to  the 

western  coast.     We  blessed  it  for  its  cheering  song,  and 

with  warmer  hearts  and  renewed  strength  we  ^confidently 

went  on  our  way,  in  spite  of  the  uncomfortable  knowledge 

that  the  ground  was  not  falling  by  any  means  so  rapidly 

as  It   should    have   done.      I,     this  way,   however,  things 

were  much  better  next  day,  September  18;  the  cold  ron- 

sislcntly  decreased,  and  life  grew  brighter  and  brighter. 

I>i  the  evenmg,  too.  fh.  wind  sprang  up  from  the  south- 


ii6 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


'^¥. 


J 

• 

\  i 


east,  and  I  hoped  we  should  really  get  a  fair  sailing  breeze 
at  last.  We  had  waited  for  it  long  enough,  and  sighed 
for  it,  too,  in  spite  of  Balto's  assurances  that  this  sailing 
on  the  snow  would  never  come  to  anything. 

In  the  course  of  the  night  the  wind  freshened,  and  in 
the  morning  there  was  a  full  breeze  blowing.  Though, 
as  usual,  there  was  no  r-reat  keenness  to  undertake  the 
rigging  and  lashing  together  of  the  sledges  in  the  cold 
wind,  we  determined,  of  course,  to  set  about  the  business 
at  once.  Christiansen  joined  Sverdrup  and  mc  with  his 
sledge,  and  we  rigged  the  two  with  the  tent-floor,  while 
the  other  three  put  their  two  sledges  together. 

All  this  work,  especially  the  lashing,  was  anything  but 
delightful,  but  the  cruellest  part  of  it  all  was  that  while 
we  were  in  the  middle  of  it  the  wind  showed  signs  of 
dropping.  It  did  not  carry  out  its  threat,  however,  and  at 
last  both  vessels  were  ready  to  start.  I  was  immensely 
excited  to  see  how  our  boat  would  turn  out,  and  whether 
the  one  sail  was  enough  to  move  both  the  sledges.  It 
was  duly  hoisted  and  made  fast,  and  there  followed  a 
violent  wrenching  of  the  whole  machine,  Inii  during  the 
ooerations  it  had  not  somewhat  buried  in  the  snow  and 
proved  immovable.  There  was  enough  wrenching  and 
straining  of  the  mast  and  tackle  to  pull  the  whole  to 
pieces,  so  we  harnes.  jd  ourselves  in  front  with  all  speed. 
We  tugged  with  a  will  and  got  our  boat  off,  but  no  sooner 
had  she  begun  to  move  than  the  wind  brought  her  right 
on  to  us,  and  over  we  all  went  into  the  snow.  We  were 
soon  up  again  for  another  trial,  but  with  tlie  same  p'sult ; 
no  sooner  were  we  on  our  legs  than  we  were  carried  olf 
them  again  by  the  shock  from  behind. 

Tliis  process  having  been  gone  through  a  certain  num- 


I 


THE   CROSSING    OF  THE  INLAND   ICE 


117 


ber  of  times,  we  saw  plainly  that  all  was  not  right.  So 
we  arranged  that  one  of  us  should  stand  in  front  on  his 
ski  and  steer  by  means  of  a  staff  fixed  between  the  two 
sledges,  like  the  pole  of  a  carriage,  leaving  himself  to 
be  pushed  along  by  his  vessel,  and  only  keeping  it  at  a 


KIRsr   ATTEMPTS   AT   SAIMNG 


respectful  distance  from  his  heels.  The  other  two  mem- 
bers of  the  crew  were  to  come  behind  on  their  ski, 
either  holding  on  to  the  sledges  or  following  as  best  they 
could. 

We  now  finally  got  under  way,  and  Sverdrup,  who  was 
to  take  the  first  turn  at  steering,  had  no  sooner  goi  the 
pole  under  his  arm  than  our  vessel  rushed  furiously  off 
before  the  wind.  I  attaclied  myself  behind  at  the  side, 
riding  on  my  ski  and  holding  on  by  the  back  of  one  of 
the  sledges  as  well  as  I  could.  Christiansen  thought  this 
looked  like  too  risky  work,  and  came  dragging  along 
behind  on  his  ski  aloiiC. 

Our  ship  flew  over  the  waves  and  drifts  of  snow  with  a 


speed  that  almost  took 


L-     r^nf>  c     l\r<^qfK 


I 


ii8 


NAASEiV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\\\ 


( 


Struggled  and  groaned,  and  were  strained  in  every  joint 
as  tliey  were  whirled  over  the  rough  surface,  and  often 
indeed  they  simply  jumped  from  the  crest  of  one  wave  on 
to  another.     I  had  quite  enough  to  do  to  hang  on  behind 
and  keep  myself  upright  on  the  ski.     Then  \he  ground 
began  to  fall  at  a  sliarper  angle  than  any  we  had  had  yet. 
The  pace  grew  liotter  and  hotter,  and  the  sledges  scarcely 
seemed   to  touch   the   snow.     Right  in  front^of  me  was 
sticking  out  the  end  of  a  ski,  which  was  lashed  fast  across 
the  two  sledges  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  them  together. 
I  could  not  do  anything  to  get  this  ski  end  out  of  the 
way,  and  it  caused  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  as  it  stuck 
out  across  the  points   of    my  own    ski,  and   was   always 
coming  into  collision  with  them.     It  was  worst  of  all  when 
we  ran  along  the  edge  of  a  drift,  for  my  ski  would  then 
get  completely  jammed,  and   I   lost  all  control  over  them. 
For  a  long  time   I  went  on   thus  in  a  continual  struggle 
with  this  hopeless  ski  end.  while  Svcrdrup  stood  in  front 
gayly  steering  and  thinking  we  were  both  sitting  comfort- 
ably on  behind.     Our  shij)  rushed  on  faster  and  faster; 
the  snow  Hew  around  us  and  behind  us  in  a  cloud,  whic  h 
gradually  hid  the  others  from  our  view. 

Then  an  ice-axe  which  lay  ow  the  top  of  our  cargo 
began  to  get  loose  and  promised  to  fall  oil.  So  I  worked 
myself  carefully  forward,  and  was  just  engaged  in  making 
the  axe  fast  when  we  rode  on  to  a  nastv  drift.  Thi"^ 
brought  the  |)rojecting  ski  end  just  across"  my  legs,  and 
there  I  lay  at  once  gazing  after  the  ship  and  its  sail, 
which  were  flying  on  down  the  slope,  and  already  show- 
ing  dimly  through  the  drifting  snow.  It  made  one  quite 
uncomfortr.ble  to  see  how  quickly  they  diminished  in  size. 
I  felt  very  foolish  to  be  left  lying  there,  but  at  last  I  recov- 


I  THE   CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE  ,,9 

ered  myself  ?nd  set  off  bravely  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel, 
which  was  by  this  time  all  but  out  of  sight.  To  my  great 
delight  I  found  that,  thanks  to  the  wind,  I  could  get  on 
at  a  very  decent  pace  alone. 

I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  found  the  ice-axe,  in  trying 
to  secure  which  I  had  come  to  grief.  A  little  way  farther 
on  I  caught  sight  of  another  dark  ob,  t.  this  time  some- 
thing square,  lying  in  the  snow.  This  was  a  box  which 
contained  some  of  our  precious  meat-chocolate,  and  which 
of  course  was  not  to  be  abandoned  in  this  way.  After  this 
I  strode  gayly  on  for  a  long  time  in  the  sledge-track,  with 
the  chocolate-box  under  one  arm  and  the  ice-axe  and  my 


"AMI   TIIKRK    t    I.AV    (JAZINC.   AITI-K     IllIO    SHIP   AM)    IIS    SAII." 

Staff  under  the  other.  Then  I  came  upon  several  more 
dark  objects  lying  straight  in  my  path.  These  proved  to 
be  a  fur  jacket  belonging  to  me,  and  no  less  than  three 
pemmican  boxes.  I  had  now  much  inore  than  I  could 
carry,  so  the  only  thing  to  be  diuie  was  to  sit  down  and 
wait  for  succor  from  the  others  who  were  following  be- 
Hind.  All  that  could  now  be  seen  of  our  proud  ship  and 
Its  sail  was  a  little  square  patch  far  away  across  the  snow- 
field.      She  was  going  ahead   in  the  same  direction   as 


I 


I20 


NAA'SEN-  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


m 


I:  ! 


I 


before,  but  as  I  watched  I  suddenly  saw  her  brought  up 
to  the  wind,  the  tin  boxes  of  her  cargo  glitter  in  the  sun, 
and  her  sail  fall.  Just  then  Christiansen  came  up  with  me, 
followed  not  long  after  by  the  other  vessel.  To  them  we 
handed  over  some  of  our  loose  boxes,  but  just  as  we  were 
stowing  them  away  i3alto  discovered  that  they  had  lost  no 
less  than  three  pemmican  tins.  These  were  much  too  val- 
uable to  be  left  behind,  so  the  crew  had  to  go  back  and 
look  for  them. 

Meanwhile  Christiansen  and  I  started  off  arain,  each 
with  a  tin  box  under  his  arm,  and  soon  overtook  Sverdrup. 
We  now  sat  down  to  wait  for  the  others,  which  was  not 
an  agreeable  job  in  this  bitter  wind. 

Sverdrup  told  us  that  he  had  sailed  merrily  off  from  the 
very  start,  had  found  the  whole  thing  go  admirably,  and 
thought  all  the  time  that  we  two  were  sitting  comfortably 
on  behind.     He  could  not  see  behind  him  for  the  sail,  but 
after  a  long  while  he  began  to  wonder  why  there  was  not 
more  noise  among  the  passengers  in  the  stern.     So  he 
made  an  approach  to  a  conversation,  but  got  no  answer. 
A  little  farther  on  he  tried  again  and  louder,  but  with  the 
same  result.     Then  he  called  louder  still,  and  lastly  began 
to  shout  at   the  top  of  his  voice,  but  still  there  was  no 
response.     This  state  of  things  needed  further  investiga- 
tion ;  so  he  brought  his  boat  up  to  the  wind,  went  round 
behind  the  sail  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  was  not 
a  little  concerned   to  find  that  both  his  passengers  had 
disappeared.      Me   tried    to    look   bac  :  along  his  course 
through  the  drifting  snow,  and  he  thought  he  could  see 
a  black  spot  far  away  behind.     This  must  have  been  my 
insignificant  figure  sitting  upon  the  lost  tin  boxes.     Then 
he   lowered   his  sail,  which  was  not  an   easy   matter  in 


I 


121 


THE  CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE 

the  wind  that  was  blowing,  and  contented  himself  to  wait 
for  us. 

We  had  to  sit  a  long  time  before  the  others  caught  us 
up  again.  We  could  just  see  the  vessel  through  the  snow, 
but  her  sail  was  evidently  not  up,  and  of  her  crew  there 
was  not  a  sign.  At  last  we  caught  sight  of  three  small 
specks  far  away  up  the  slope  and  the  glitter  of  the  sun 


"SAILINC.   ON    THK  INI.Wn    tCE  " 


on  the  tins  they  were  carrying.     Presently  the  sail  was 
hoisted,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  joined  us. 

We  now  lashed  the  sledges  better  together  and  made 
the  cargo  thoroughly  fast,  in  order  to  escape  a  repetition 
of  this  performance.  Then  we  rigged  up  some  ropes  be- 
hind, to  which  the  crew  could  hold  or  tie  themselves,  and 
thus  bo  towed  comfortably  along.  In  this  way  we  got  on 
splendidly,  and  never  in  my  life  have  I  had  a  more  glo- 
rious run  on  ski. 


122 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


mv 


■I  |: 
|j  I 


■  f 


■ 


A  while  later  Sverdrup  declared  that  he  had  had 
enough  of  steering,  and  I  therefore  took  his  place.  We 
had  now  one  good  slope  after  another  and  a  strong  wind 
behind  us.  We  travelled  as  we  should  on  the  best  of 
ski  hills  at  home,  and  this  for  hour  after  hour.  The 
steering  is  exciting  work.  One  has  to  keep  one's  tongue 
straight  in  one's  mouth,  as  we  say  at  home,  and,  whatever 
one  does,  take  care  not  tc;  fall.  If  one  did,  the  whole 
conveyance  would  be  upon  one,  and  once  under  the  run- 
ners and  driven  along  by  the  impetus,  one  would  fare 
badly  indeed,  and  be  lucky  to  get  off  without  a  complete 
smash-up.  This  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  so  it  was 
necessary  to  keep  one's  wits  about  one,  to  hold  the  ski 
well  together,  grip  the  pole  tight,  watch  the  ground  in- 
cessantly, so  as  to  steer  clear  of  the  worst  drifts,  and  for 
the  rest  take  things  as  they  came,  while  one's  ski  flew  on 
from  the  crest  of  one  snow-wave  to  another. 

Our  meals  were  not  pleasant  inter  als  that  day,  and  we 
therefore  got  through  them  as  quickly  as  we  could.  We 
stopped  and  crept  under  shelter  of  the  sails,  which  were 
only  half  lowered  on  purpose.  The  snow  drifted  over  us 
as  we  sat  there,  but  the  wind  at  least  was  not  so  piercing 
as  in  the  open.  We  scarcely  halted  for  the  usual  choco- 
late distributions,  and  took  our  refreshment  as  we  went 
along. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  —  this  notable  day  by 
the  vv^ay  was  September  19  —  just  as  we  were  sailing  our 
best  and  fastest,  we  heard  a  cry  of  joy  from  the  party  be- 
hind, Balto's  voice  being  prominent  as  he  shouted  "  Land 
ahead !  " 

And  so  there  was ;  through  the  mist  of  snow,  which 
was  just  now  a  little  less  dense,  we  could  see  away  to  the 


THE   CROSSING   OF   THE  INLAND   ICE  ,23 

west  a  long,  dark  mountain  ridge,  and  to  the  south  of  it 
a  smaller  peak.  Rejoicings  were  loud  ano  genera),  for 
the  goal  toward  which  we  had  so  long  struggled  wJs  at 
last  in  sigh  I. 

Balto's  own  account  of  the  occurrence  runs  as  follows  : 
"  While  we  were  sailing  that  afternoon  I  caught  sight  of 
a  black  spot  a  long  way  off  to  the  west,     l   stared  and 
stared    at  it    till    1    saw    that  it  really  was    bare   ground. 
Then   I   called   to    Dietrichson,  '  I  can   see    land ! '     Die- 
trichson  at  once  shouted  to  the  others  that  Balto  could 
see  land  away  to  the  west.     And  then  we  rejoiced  to  see 
this  sight,  which  we  had  so  often  longed  to  see,  and  new 
courage  came  into  our  hearts,  and  hope  that  we  should 
now    happily   and    without   disaster  cross   over  this    ice- 
mountain,  which  is  the  greatest  of  all  ice-mountains.     If 
we  had  spent  many  more  days  upon  the  ice,  I  fear  that 
some  of  us  would  have  fared  badly.     As  soon  as  Nansen 
heard  this   he   stopped  and  gave  us  two  pieces  of  meat- 
chocolate    each.     It  was    always    our   custom,   when    we 
reached  a  sjjot  which  we    had  long  wished    to  rea  '     to 
treat   ourselves  to  the  best  food  we    had.     So  whc,      - 
came  to  land  after  drifting  in  the  ice,  when  we  reachea 
Umivik,  when  we  had  climbed  to   the  highest   point  of 
Greenland,  when  we  now  first  saw  land  on  the  west  side, 
and  lastly,  when  we  first  set  foot  upon  bare  ground  again, 
we    were    treated    to   our   very   best  — which    was    jam,' 
American  biscuits,  and  butter." 

Though  this  first  land  we  saw  lay  a  little  to  the  north 
of  the  line  we  had  hitherto  been  following,  I  steered  for 
It  n.  er.heless,  because  the  ice  in  this  direction  seemed  to 
fall  away  more  rapidly.  However,  the  point  was  soon 
hidden  in  the  snow  again,  and  we  went  on  with  the  wind 


124 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


■{ 


I 


i 


straight  behind  us  for  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  wi^nout 
getting  any  further  sight  of  land.  The  wind  grew 
stronger  and  stronger,  we  flew  down  slope  after  slope, 
and  everything  went  famously. 

A  while  later  both  the  gradient  and  the  wind  slackened 
off  for  a  time,  but  as  evening  began  the  breeze  freshened 
and  the  slope  grew  steeper,  and  we  rushed  along  through 
the  dense  driving  snow  more  furiously  than  ever.  It  was 
already  growing  dusk,  when  I  suddenly  saw  in  the  gen- 
eral obscurity  something  dark  lying  right  in  our  path.  I 
took  it  for  some  ordinary  irregularity  in  the  snow,  and 
unconcernedly  steered  straight  ahead.  The  next  mo- 
ment, when  I  was  witliin  no  more  than  a  few  yards,  I 
found  it  to  be  something  very  different,  and  in  an  instant 
swung  round  sharp  and  brought  the  vessel  up  to  the 
wind.  It  was  high  time,  too,  for  we  were  on  the  very 
edge  of  a  chasm  broad  enough  to  swallow  comfortably 
sledges,  steersman,  and  passengers.  Another  second  and 
we  should  have  disappeared  for  good  and  all.  We  now 
shouted  with  all  our  might  to  the  others,  who  were  com- 
ing gayly  on  behind,  and  they  managed  to  luff  in  time. 

Here  also  Balto  has  something  to  say :  "  The  same 
evening  while  we  were  still  sailing  along  —  it  may  have 
been  about  half-past  seven  and  it  was  rather  dark  —  we 
saw  Nansen,  who  was  in  front  on  his  ski,  signalling 
wildly  to  us,  while  he  shouted,  '  Don't  come  here ;  it  is 
dangerous  ! '  We,  who  \\'ere  tearing  along  at  full  speed, 
found  it  difficult  to  stop,  and  had  to  swing  around  and 
throw  ourselves  on  our  sides.  At  the  same  time  we  saw 
in  front  of  us  an  awful  crack  in  the  ice,  which  was  many 
hundred  feet  deep." 

As  to  the  rest  of  the  day's  sail  my  diary  says :  "  This 


THE   CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE 


CO   CAUIIOUSLY   AND    USli    MY    STAFF" 

• 

was  the  first  crevasse,  but  was  not  likely  to  be  the  only 
one,  and  we  must  now  go  warily.  It  was  suggested  that 
It  was  hardly  advisable  to  sail  any  farther  that  evening 
but  I  thought  it  too  early  to  stop  yet,  as  we  must  take 
advantage  of  the  wind.  So  I  left  the  sledges  and  went 
on  m  front  to  reconnoitre,  while  Sverdrup  undertook  the 
steenng  of  our  boat,  and  the  sails  of  both  of  them  were 
taken  in  a  bit.  The  wind  was  strong  enough  even  to 
blow  me  along,  and  I  could  run  long  stretches  without 
movmg  a  muscle,  and  so  cover,  a  the  ground  fast. 

"  When  the  snow  looked  treacherous  I  had  to  go 
cautiously  and  use  my  staff  to  see  whether  I  had  solid 
ground  under  foot,  and,  if  not,  to  signal  to  the  others  to 
wait  till  I  had  found  a  safer  route.  In  spite  of  all  precau- 
tions, Sverdrup  and  Christiansen  all  but  came  to  grief 
once,  as  the  snow  fell  in  behind  them  just  as  they  had 
passed    over   an    unsuspected    crevasse.     Meantime    the 


126 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


t    \. 


wind  was  steadily  increasing,  and  the  sails  had  to  be 
taken  in  more  and  more  to  prevent  the  sledges  overrun- 
ning me.  As  we  were  all  getting  hungry,  biscuits  were 
served  out,  but  no  halt  was  made  to  eat  them. 

"  It  was  rapidly  getting  dark,  but  the  full  moon  was  now 
rising,  and  she  gave  us  light  enough  to  see  and  avoid  the 
worst  crevasses.  It  was  a  curious  sight  for  me  to  see  the 
two  vessels  coming  rushing  along  behind  me,  with  their 
square  viking  like  sails  showing  dark  against  the  white 
snow-field  and  the  big  round  disc  of  the  moon  behind. 

"  Faster  and  faster  I  go  flying  on,  while  the  ice  gets 
more  and  more  difficuU.  There  is  worse  still  ahead,  I  can 
see,  and  in  another  moment  I  am  into  it.  The  ground  is 
here  seamed  with  crevasses,  but  they  are  full  of  snow  and 
not  dangerous.  Every  now  and  then  I  feel  my  staff  go 
through  into  space,  but  the  cracks  are  narrow  and  the 
sledges  glide  easily  over.  Presently  I  cross  a  broader  one, 
and  see  just  in  front  of  me  a  huge  black  abyss.  I  creep 
cautiously  to  its  edge  on  the  slippery  ice,  which  here  is 
covered  by  scarcely  any  snow,  and  look  down  into  the 
deep,  dark  '-"asm.  Beyond  it  I  can  see  crevasse  after  cre- 
vasse, running  ^^arallel  with  one  another,  and  showing 
dark  blue  in  the  moonlight.  I  now  tell  the  others  to  stop, 
as  this  is  no  ground  to  traverse  in  the  dark,  and  we  must 
halt  for  the  night. 

"  In  the  west  we  could  now  see  land  again  against  the 
evening  sky,  which  still  shows  a  faint  trace  of  day.  They 
were  the  same  mountains  we  had  first  seen,  but  they  now 
tower  high  above  the  horizon,  and  to  the  south  of  these 
peaks  again  there  is  a  long  ridge  of  rock  protrudmg  from 
the  snow. 

"  It  was  a  difificult  business  to  get  the  tent  up  in  this 


THE   CROSSING    OF  THE  INLAND  ICE  ,27 

Strong  wind,  and  on  the  hard,  slippery  ice,  which  gave  no 
hold  for  our  guy-ropes,  and  we   had   to  cut  deep  holes 
before  we  could  make  our  staffs  do  duty  as  pegs.    At  last, 
after  having  fared  worse  than  usual  with  the  cold,  we  got 
the  tent  up  and  were  able  to  crawl  into  a  partial  shelter. 
No  one  was  inclined  to  do  any  cooking  that  evening,  as 
even  inside  the  tent  the  wind  was  much  too  aggressive, 
and  the  little  feast  which  was  to  do  honor  to  the  day.  and 
which  we  had  much   looked  forward  to,  was  put  off  till 
next  morning.     So  we  were  content   to  divide  our  last 
piece  of  Gruyere  cheese,  and  then,  well  pleased  with  our- 
selves and  our  day's  work,  creep  into  our  sleeping-bags. 
I  now  discovered  for  the  first  time  that  I  had  got  the  fin- 
gers of  both  my  hands  frozen  during  the  afternoon's  sail. 
It  was  too  late  now  to  rub  them  with  snow,  as  thoy  had 
begun  to  thaw  on  their  own  account,  but  that  night  the 
pain   they  gave   me  was  almost    unendurable,  tilf  I  fell 
asleep  in  spite  of  it." 

Early  next  morning,  September  20,  I  started  up  with 
tlie  consciousness  that  I  had  forgotten  to  wind  my  watch 
up  over-night.  Unluckily  Sverdruj)  had  done  exactly  the 
same,  and  though  we  wound  them  both  up  at  once  it  was 
now  too  late.  This  was,  of  course,  rather  unfortunate  for 
our  longitude  observations,  but  we  were  now  so  near  land 
that  we  could  reckon  our  position  with  tolerable  exacti- 
tude  nevertheless. 

When  we  looked  out  of  the  tent  we  could  see  the  whole 
country  to  the  south  of  Godthaabsfjord  lying  spread  out 
before  us,  a  rough  mountainous  tract  with  many  deep  val- 
leys and  lofty  peaks.  Those  who  remember  their  first 
sight  of  a  mountain  landscape  in  their  childhood,  with  its 
•sunht  peaks  and  stretches  of  glittering  snow ;  who  can 


iii' 


U- 


■ 


k 


128  NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

remember  how  this  new  mysteriou:,  world  fascinated  and 
ahured  them  —  they  will  understand  what  our  feelings 
were  this  morning.  We  were  just  like  children,  as  we  sat 
and  gazed,  and  followed  the  lines  of  the  valleys  down- 
ward in  the  vain  search  for  a  glimpse  of  the  sea.  It  was 
a  fine  country  that  lay  before  us,  wild  and  grand  as  the 
western  coast  of  Norway.  Fresh  snow  lay  sprinkled  about 
the  mountain  tops,  between  which  were  deep  black  gorges. 
At  the  bottom  of  these  were  the  fjords,  which  we  could 
fancy,  but  could  not  see.  A  journey  to  Godthaab  in  this 
kind  of  country  looked  anything  but  a  simple  matter. 

We  enjoyed  our  grand  breakfast  at  our  ease  and  leisure 
this  morning,  made  tea  unlimited,  and  simply  revelled  in 
cheese  and  oatmeal  biscuits.  It  was  glorious  to  have  a 
treat  like  this  once  in  a  way.  The  morning  was  well  gone 
before  we  got  finally  on  the  move..  In  the  darkness  of 
the  evening  before  we  had  sailed  into  some  very  rough  fis- 
sured ice,  and  we  now  had  to  bear  away  to  the  south  to 
avoid  the  worst  crevasses  and  reach  smoother  ground.  The 
snow  throughout  this  day's  march  was  partly  blown  into 
drifts,  especially  where  there  was  any  unevenness  in  the 
ice  to  catch  it,  and  partly  swept  away  by  the  wind,  leaving 
the  surface  slippery  and  bare. 

Presently  we  reached  the  top  of  a  long,  steej)  slope 
which  had  to  be  descended.  Sverdrup  and  I  started  down 
on  our  ski  and  had  a  fine  run.  But  our  sledge  was  dif- 
ficult to  steer,  and  we  had  huge  crevasses  on  each  side,  so 
at  last  we  were  constrained  to  take  our  ski  off  for  safety's 
sake.  We  then  went  on,  standing  each  on  a  runner  of 
the  sledge,  and  scrajiing  and  breaking  with  our  feet  in 
order  to  keep  clear  of  the  crevasses.  The  Lapps  during 
this  run  were  especially  reckless,  and  let  their  sledge  rush 


THE   CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE  129 

ahead  much  as  it  pleased.  A  little;  farther  down  we  came 
upon  a  flat  piece  of  ice,  which  was  so  slippery  that  it  was 
quite  difficult  to  cross.  It  looked  like  the  frozen  surface 
of  a  lake  or  pool.  Beyond  this  we  found  ourselves  in 
some  nasty  ice  again,  and  after  I  had  fallen  through  the 
snow  several  times  I  thought  it  best  to  put  the  ski  on 
again.  With  them  one  is  of  course  much  safer,  as  when 
one  slides  across  the  narrower  crevasses  their  o-rcat  lencrth 


roNsi  i\i,   iHiwN  TirK  si.ori'.s 


will  generally  hold  one  up.  At  this  time  we  had  a  nasty 
experience,  as  our  sledge  came  lengthways  uj)()n  a  (Tc- 
vasse,  the  snow-cornice  of  which  gave  way  under  one  of 
the  runners,  and  we  only  managed  to  drag  it  on  to  firm 
ground  just  as  the  whole  mass  of  snow  was  falling  in  be- 
neath it.  Ravna  and  Balto  nearly  got  into  a  worse  scraj)e 
once,  when  they  tried  to  take  a  short  cut  instead  of  follow- 
ing our  course.  They  slid  down  on  to  a  huge  wide  fissure, 
whereuj)on  one  of  the  runners  cut  straight  through  the 
snow  and  all  but  upset  the  sledge,  and  it  was  only  by  the 
skin  of  their  teeth  that   they  escaped.      I    was  furiously 


13° 


NAiVSEiY  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\\    \ 


\t  . 


angry  with  tlicm,  of  course,  and  rated  them  well  for  not 
being  content  to  let  us  who  went  in  front  run  such  risks 
as  were  necessary.  Christiansen,  too,  was  once  on  the 
point  of  losing  his  sledge  in  much  the  same  way. 

In  the  afternoon  we  had  a  hailstorm  from  the  souLh  and 
southeast  The  hail  stung  our  faces  and  the  wind  contin- 
ually blew  the  sledges  around,  so  that  hauling  became  hard 
and  difficult  work.  In  this  respect  Sverdrup  and  I  were 
worst  off,  as  our  load  was  very  bulky  and  lay  high  on  the 
sledge,  which  therefore  exposed  a  large  surface  to  the 
wind.  The  steel  bars  or  keels  under  the  runners  would 
here  have  been  an  advantage,  but  they  had  long  ago  given 
way  on  the  rough  ice  of  the  east  coast. 

We  stopped  for  the  day  on  a  little  Hat,  on  which  there 
was  just  enough  drifted  snow  to  hold  our  staffs,  and  the 
pitching  of  the  tent  was  thus  a  simple  matter.  We  had 
flattered  ourselves  tiK.t  we  should  come  within  very  easy 
distance  of  land,  if  not  reach  it  altogether,  this  evening, 
and  we  were  considerably  disai^pointed  when  it  seemed 
to  us  at  the  end  of  the  day  that  we  were  almost  as  far  off 
as  ever. 

Next  day,  September  21,  snow  was  falling,  and  we 
amid  see  nothing  either  of  the  land  or  the  ice  around  us. 
We  had  to  grope  our  way  as  best  we  could,  and  th(>re 
was  no  possibility  of  choosing  the  most  advantageous 
course. 

^  Toward  noon  we  stopped  in  ..rder  to  get  an  ..bserva- 
iK.n,  if  it  were  possible,  as  the  sun  now  and  again  showed 
tiirough  tlu"  clouds.  It  was  most  important  that  we 
should  know  where  we  were,  and  the  day  before  I  had 
been  too  late  for  the  purpose,  having  made  a  nn'stake 
about  the  time  owing  to  my  omission  to  wind  my  watch 


D 

\ni\\  for  not 

such  risks 

nee  on  the 

;  soLiLh  and 
ind  contin- 
jcanie  liard 
md  I  were 
igh  on  the 
ace  to  the 
iiers  would 
ago  given 

hich  there 
s,  and  the 
We  had 
very  easy 
■i  evening:, 
it  seemed 
:  as  far  off 

f,  and  we 
iround  us. 
111(1  there 
mtageous 

observa- 
n  showed 

that  we 
're   I   had 

nn'stake 
iiy  watch 


THE   CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE  13X 

up.  Luckily  this  time  the  sun  was  visible  for  a  while, 
and  I  was  able  to  get  the  altitude,  my  reckoning  putting 
us  at  about  lat.  64°  13'  N.  This  position  was  a  little 
more  northerly  than  I  should  have  liked,  the  reason  being 
that  I  had,  as  I  have  said,  steered  too  much  to  the  north 
as  we  were  sailing  after  we  came  within  sight  of  land. 
As  it  will  appear,  we  now  had  to  i)ay  some  days'  penalty 
for  the  mistake.  If  we  had  ke])t  our  original  more  south- 
erly course,  we  should  probably  have  been  able  to  sail 
/ight  down  on  to  the  land  itself. 

We  now,  therefore,  turned  more  to  the  south  when  we 
set  off  again.     In   the  course  of  the  afternoon  Sverdrup 
and  I  had  a  disagreement  as  to  our  best  route  — a  thin^r 
which   rarely  happened.      Me  na    ted   to  take  us  more  to 
the  right  up  on  to  a  ridge,  as  he  had  through  the  snow 
seen  crevasses  down   below  in  front  of   us.  '  I    had  seen 
nothing  of  the  kind,  and  i)referred   to  keep  away  to  the 
left;   but  after  some   discussion   Sxerdrui^   j)revailed.  and 
we  climbed  the  ridge,  but  only  to  find  ourselves  in  the 
middle    of   some    terrible    crevasses.     They   were   worse 
than  any  we  had  hitherto  had  to  deal  with,  and  we  were 
very  glad  to  clear  out  again  and  bear  away  more  to  the 
south.     Here  wo  found  a  tolerably  smooth  ^stretch  of  ice 
forming  the  bottom  of  a  valley  between  two  ridges,  which 
were  both  quite  a  network  of  fissures.     This  alleyOr  fur- 
row narrowed  in  front  of  us,  and  ended  in  a  defile,  where 
the  two  ridges  almost    met.      Here  there  was  an  abrupt 
fall  m  the  ground,  and  the  ice  was  uncomfortably  rough 
I  lie  place  looked  all  but  im,,racticable,  and  it  was  clearlv 
'!•>  use  trymg  to  push  on  any  farther  while  the  weathcT 
was  so  thick.     It  seemed  very  likely  that  we  had  come 
too  far  already. 


132 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


Iff 


\%'\ 
\ 


f  I; 


I 


So  it  was  settled  that  Dietrichson,  Ravna,  and  Balto 
should  pitch  the  tent,  while  Sverdrup,  Christiansen,  and  I 
should  go  down  and  see  whether  this  broken  ice  would 
allow  of  a  passage.  Balto  in  his  quality  of  under-cook 
was  told  to  set  the  apparatus  going,  and  have  everything 
ready  by  the  time  we  came  back— some  good  pea-soup 
and  plenty  of  hot  water  in  the  upper  vessel,  so  that  we 
could  have  some  lemon-grog  after  supper. 

We  three  soon  had  the  Alpine  rope  round  our  waists 
and  set  off  downward.  The  ice  was  unusually  rough 
and  hard  to  pass,  a  simple  chaos  of  sharp  edges  with  fis- 
sures in  between  ;  but  it  was  not  dangerous,  as  the  clefts 
were  as  a  rule  not  deep. 

We  had  not  gone  far  before,  to  my  astonishment,  I  saw 
a  little  dark   spot  down   below  us   between  some  ridges 
covered  with  snow.     It  looked  amazingly  like  water,  but 
it  was  quite  possible  that  it  was  only  ice,  so  I  said  nothing 
to  the  others.     But  when   I   reached  it  and,  putting   my 
staff  in,  met  with   no  resistance,  our  surprise  and  delight 
were  quite  unbounded.     We   threw  ourselves  down,  put 
our  lips   to   the   surface,  and   sucked    up   the   water'  like 
horses.     After  a  month  Ot   incessant   thirst   and   limited 
rations,  the  pleasure  of   having  abundance  of  drink  was 
mdescribable.     How  many  cpiarts  we  swallowed   I  should 
not  like  to  say,  but  we  plainly  felt  ourselves  suvll  within 
and    without    during   the  operation.     We   then    went    on 
refreshed,  but  before  we  had  gone  far  we  heard  some  one 
shouting  behind,  and  saw  little   Ravna  running  after  us 
as  fast  as  his  short    legs  would   carry  him.     We  waited, 
fearing  that  there  was  something  wrong  in  the  camp,  and 
I  was  much   relieved  to  lu-ar.  when  he  came  up,  that  all 
he  wanted  was  the  wicks  for  the  spirit-lamp,  which  I  usu- 


D 

and  Balto 
iisen,  and  I 

ice  would 
under-cook 
everything 
d  pea-soup 
so  that  we 

our  waists 
ally  rough 
-vs  with  fis- 

the  clefts 

lent,  I  saw 
me  rid  ires 
water,  but 
id  nothing 
iitting  my 
id  delight 
:lown,  jmt 
vater  like 
id  limited 
Irink  was 

I  should 
ell  within 

went  on 
some  one 
[  after  us 
e  waited, 
:amp,  and 
),  that  all 
ch   I  usu- 


T//£   CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE  133 

ally  carried  in  my  pocket  to  keep  them  dry.  I  was  anx- 
ious to  know  whether  he  had  seen  the  water,  for  Ravna 
was  the  worst  of  all  of  us  to  drink  when  he  had  the 
chance,  and  I  was  half  afraid  that  he  would  go  at  it  till 
he  made  himself  ill.  He  had  seen  the  water,1ie  told  us, 
but  had  not  had  time  to  attend  to  it  as  he  came  down,' 
though  he  meant  to  make  up  for  the  omission  on  the  way 
back. 

So  we  sent  him  off  again  and  went  on  with  our  explora- 
tion. We  presently  found  ourselves  among  the  roughest 
ice  I  had  ever  seen,  and  all  that  I  knew  of  from  Captain 
Jensen's  descriptions  was  nothing  compared  to  this 
Absolutely  impassable  it  was  not,  but  ridge  upon  ridge,* 
each  sharper  and  more  impracticable  than  its  neighbor,' 
lay  in  all  directions,  while  between  them  were  deep  clefts,' 
often  half  full  of  water,  which  was  covered  with  a  thin  skin 
of  ice  not  strong  enough  to  bear. 

Darkness    was    alieady   coming    on    when    we    finally 
turned    homeward.      We    were    wretchedly  done    u])    by 
having  to  toil  over  this  rough  ground,  on  which  the  soft 
snow  lay  deep  in  |)laces,  and  were  much  comforted  when 
we  at  last  caught  sight  of  the  tent  in  the  distance.     As 
we  ]iassed  the  i)ool  again   we  must  needs    have  another 
drink.     We  lay  down  and  let  the  water  fairly  flow  down 
our  throats.     Our   foreheads  grew  numb    and    cold,  but 
that  did  not  stop  us.     It  was  a  truly  divine  j^leasure  to  be 
able  once  more  to  drink 'to  the  very  end  of  one's  thirst. 
A  cheering  smell  of  good  pea-soup  met  us  as  we  entered 
our  little  tent,  where  we  found  the  others  squatting  around 
the    cooking   machine.     Halto    had    everything  ^hot    and 
ready  for  i;s,  and  was  very  proud  of  having  carried  out 
his  orders  to  the  letter. 


I 


134 


NANSEJV  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


if'! 


11^ 


h 


His  description,  too,  will  serve  to  tell  us  what  the  rest 
of  the  party  did  while  we  were  away. 

"  The    other  three   went  off  with  a  rope  round    their 

waists  to  look  for  a  way,  while  we  —  that  is,  Ravna,  Die- 

trichson,  and    I  —  stayed  behind   to  put  up  the  tent.     I 

had   to   ninlc'-   sonic   pea-soup,   too,  for  I   was  cook.     So 

I  i^ot  the  machine   out,  but  then  found  that  there  were 

no  wicks,  as  Nansen  had  them  in  his  pocket.     So  I  sent 

Ravna  off  to  get  them,  and  when  he  came  back  he  said 

he  had  found  water  and  drunk  his  stomach  full.     When 

I  heard   this  I  caught  up  a  tin  bt)x  and   ran  as   hard  as  I 

coukl  go  till  1    reached  the  pool.     Then  I  threw  myself 

down  and  began  to  drink.     I  had  to  lift  my  head  up  no- 

and   then   to  get  breath,  and   then   I   went  on  drinkin"- 

again.     It  tasted  just  like  fresh,  sweet  milk,  for  we  had 

not  had  any  water  for  a  whole  month.     Then  I  filled  the 

tin  and  carried  it  up  to  the  tent,  and  when    Dietrichson 

saw  it  he  lay  down  and  drank  till  he  could  not  hold  any 

more.     The  tin  was  a  \er)'  big  one,  but   there  was  only 

just  enough   left  for  the  pea-souj3  afterward.     We  found 

plenty  of  water  exery  day  after  this." 

I  am  sure  we  all  remember  September  21,  when  we 
first  found  water.  I  really  think  it  was  one  of  the  best 
days  of  the  whole  expedition. 

Balto's  fragrant  soup  was  soon  served  out,  and  we  set 
to  work  upon  our  su])])er  with  more  than  usual  keenness, 
which  means  considerably  more  than  it  seems  to  say. 
luen  Ravna  could  c.il  that  night,  .le  used  to  declare  he 
never  could  make  a  good  meal  because  there  was  not 
enough  to  drink.  'I'his  used  to  induce  him  to  save  up 
his  rations,  and  he  would  often  annoy  us,  and  make  our 
mouths  water   fruitlessly,  by  bringing   out   four  or    five 


t  the  rest 

Lind  their 
ivna,  Die- 
2  tent.  I 
:ook.  So 
lere  were 
So  I  sent 
k  he  said 
1.  When 
hard  as  I 
:w  myself 
J  up  no- 
drinking 
r  we  had 
filled  the 
ietrichson 
hold  any 
was  only 
V^e  found 


THE   CROSSING    OF  THE   INLAND  ICE  135 

spare  biscuits  at  a  time  to  show  us.  The  truth  probably 
was  that  his  little  body  did  not  need  as  much  food  as  our 
larger  ones. 

After  supper  we  had  lemon-grog,  which  consisted  of 
citric  acid,  oil  of  lemon,  sugar  and  hot  water,  a  compoun^ 
which  to  our  tastes  was  nothing  short  of  nectar,  and 
which  we  sipped  and  enjoyed  to  the  utmost  as  we  lay  in 
our  sleeping-bags.  lH)r  my  own  part  it  was  a  long  time 
since  1  had  been  so  tired.  The  laborious  wadinir  in  the 
deep,  fresh  snow  had  tried  my  legs  severely,  and  I  do  not 
fancy  that  the  others  were  much  better.  But  an  evenimr 
like  this  in  the  tent  brings  a  feeling  of  comfort  and  grati- 
tude upon  one,  and  a  \eil  of  forgetful ness  is  gently  and 
soothingly  drawn  over  all  the  pains  and  tribulations  of  the 
day. 

A  candle-end  —  the  last  we  have  —  has  been  lighted 
for  supper.  This  over,  and  all  our  prciDarations  for  the 
morrow  made,  we  put  out  our  light,  bury  our  heads  well 
beneath  the  hotjds  of  the  sleeping-bags,  and  pass  swiftly 
and  lightly  over  into  the  region  of  dreams. 


when  we 
the  best 


id  we  set 
keenness, 
s  to  say. 
eclare  he 
was  not 
I  save  up 
iiake  our 
"  or    five 


CHAPTER    VIII 


xl 


' 


THE    DESCENT    TO    AMERALIKFJORD  * 

Before  breakfast  on   September  22,   while  Balto  was 
making  the  tea,  Sverdrup  and  I  climbed  the  rid-e  of  ice 
which  lay  to  the  south  of  the  tent  for  a  reconnaissance 
t    was    seamed    with    broad    crcN-asses    of    unfathomable 
depth,  most  of  them  running  pamllel.    Once  I  fell  throuo-h 
a  snow-bridge,  but    he  fissure  Mas  so  narrow  that  I  coidd 
keep  my  hold  on  both  its  sides,  and  after  some  amount  of 
struggling  I  managed  to  extricate  myself.     From  the  top 
cf  the  ridge  we  had  a  fine  view  over  the  surrounding  ice 
and  could  see  that  our  best  course  would  probably  be  to 
keep  a  westerly  direction  for  the  present  and  turn  south- 
ward again  lower  down.     As  far  as  we  can  see,  in  front 
of  us  the  ice  seems  to  lie  in  fissured  ridges,  which  all  run 
westward  toward  (iodthaabsfjord.     \Y^  had  been  in  doubt 
as  t()  what  valley  or  fjord  the  depression   right  before  us 
could   be,  but  we  could   now   see   that  it   must  be   Kan- 
gersunek.      Altogether   we    were   able   to    make   out   our 
whereabouts  very  udl,  and  it  was  c|uite  plain  that  we  had 
come  down  four  „r  five  miles  farther  to  the  north  than  we 
had  meant. 

We  found   breakfast   ready  when   ue   got  back  to  the 

tent,  and   afterward    it   uas  settled   that  Sverdrup  and  I 

should  go  out  again  and  exi)l(,re  the  ice  to  the  west,  keep- 

liig  to  the  north  of  the  part   we  examined  the  previous 

'  From  Nansen's  ^hross  Greenland. 


•ys: 


2'HE  DESCENT  TO  AMEliALIKEJORD 


'37 


\  Balto  was 
ridge  of  ice 
)nnaissance. 
ifathomable 
fell  throucrh 
hat  I  could 
i  amount  of 
■om  the  top 
unding  ice, 
bably  be  to 
turn  south- 
-e,  in  front 
I'ch  all  run 
■n  in  doubt 
before  us 
t  be   Kan- 
e   out  our 
lat  we  had 
^h  than  we 

ick  to  the 
ri:p  and  I 
vest,  kecp- 
?  previous 


A\    AWKUAUI)    I'UKllICAMKNT 

evening.  The  others  meanwhile  must  follow  us  with  the 
four  sledges  as  far  as  they  could  m  the  same  direction, 
and,  ,f  they  could  get  so  far,  stop  at  the  last  rido-e  we 
could  see  from  here.  As  they  had  a  fair  wind  behind 
them,  I  thought  they  would  be  able  to  manage  a  sledge 
each  without  much  difficulty. 

So  Sverdrup  and   I  started  off,  and  with  the  wind  be- 


ss 


M't  }; 


li 


ili 


m 


138  iV^^y\'5iiW  /iV  7v7v5:   FROZEN  WORLD 

hind  us  ran  fast   clown  on  our  sllpperv  oak  ski.     The 
ground  was  fairly  easy  till  we  came  far  enough   to  see 
down  into  the  fjord,  which  was  full  of  floating  glacier-ice. 
Then  the  crevasses  began,  but  at  first  they  ran  parallel 
and  we  pushed  a  good   way  farther  on.     But  presently 
things  became  utterly  hopeless,  a  simple  network  of  inter- 
lacmg  fissures,  the  ice  protruding  in  small  square  islands 
from  the  midst  of  the  blue  abysses.    Even  the  fancy  could 
form  no  idea  of  the  depth  of  these  chasms,  and  the  sight 
of  the  riven  and  chaotic  mass  was  unearthly  in  the  t\x- 
treme.    Not  a  step  farther  could  we  go ;  there  was  nothing 
for  us  to  do  but  eat  our  dinner  and  go  back  to  look  foT- 
the  others.     We  found  shelter  in  a  little  crevice,  where 
the  sun  did  its  best  to  comfort  us  and  tempc^r  the  keen- 
ness of  the  biting  wind. 

On  the  way  back  I  had  the  ill-luck  to  fall  into  a  cre- 
vasse. I  was  left  hanging  by  my  arms,  and  the  position 
was  neither  easy  nor  ])leasant.  The  fissure  was  narrow 
mdeed,  but  it  was  very  difficult  to  get  a  footing  with  my 
ski  on  the  slippery  edges.  I  was  alone,  too,  as\Sverdrup 
had  taken  a  different  line,  and,  being  a  long  way  on 
m  front,  saw  nothing  of  my  disaster.  However,  after 
struggling  for  a  while,  I  at  last  managed  to  scramble  out 
by  myself.  Strangely  enough,  none  of  us  ever  went  far- 
ther into  these  crevasses  than  to  the  armpits. 

We  had  not  gone  far  before  we  caught  sight  of  the 
tent,  which  lay  a  little  way  to  the  north  of  us  and  on  the 
very  ridge  uhere  the  party  had  been  ordered  t(.  halt 
They  had  reached  this  point  about  half  an  hour  before 
and  the  coffee  was  already  under  way.  I  must  explain 
that  we  were  now  so  near  the  coast  that  the  coffee  pro- 
hibition  was    not   so   stringently   observed.     It   was  not 


D 

ski.     The 
ugh   to  see 

glacier-ice. 
•an  parallel, 
t  presently 
rk  of  inter- 
lare  islands 
"ancy  could 
d  the  sight 
in  the  ex- 
as  nothing 

0  look  for 
ice,  where 
■  the  keen- 

nto  a  cre- 
c  position 
as  narrow 
X,  with  my 
Sverdrup 

1  way  on 
:ver,  after 
amble  out 

went  far- 

ht  of  the 
id  on  the 
I  to  halt, 
ur  before, 
t  explain 
)ffee  pro- 
was   not 


THE  DESCENT  TO  AMERALIKEyORD 


139 


"N    Tin.:    MORNINC   OK   SK,'!  KMHER    2y.    ROUGHISH    ICE 

quite  ready,  and  a  short  rest  after  our  h\tle  ski  excursion 
did  us  good.     After  we  had  finished  our  cofTee  the  tent 
was  struck,  and  we   set  off   in  a  southerly  di.  action   in 
order  to  skirt  the  ice-stream  which    flowed  down  to  the 
fjord,  and  in  the  middle  of  which  we  had  just  been      At 
f^i-st  the  ground  was  easy  and  we  made   good   procuress 
though  the  wind  did  its  best  to   hinder  us  by  blowing  the 
sledges  around.      In    the  evening,  when  it  was  aheady 
gi-owu,g  dusk,  we  reached  a  ridge  of  nasty,  broken  ice 
which  we  had  seen  in  the  distance  that  morning,  and  which 
here  seemed  to  be  no  ^vay  of  avoiding.     It  wis  necessary 
to  explore  the  ground  here   before   moving  any  farther 
and  so  there  was  nothing  to  be   done  but^  encamp  and 
wait  for  dayhght.     While  supper  w^as  preparing  two  of  us 
went  out  again.     The  ice  was   undeniably  awkward,  but 
with   enterprise   we  could   no  doubt  get  through.     The 


140 


NANSJiN  JN  THE   FJWZEy    WORLD 


ridge  was  luckily  not  broad,  and  the  best  route  was  evi- 
dently the  straightest  ajid  shortest. 

Next  morning,  September  23,  Sverdrup  went  out  upon 
another  prospecting  expedition,  and  came  back  with  com- 
paratively reassuring  intelligence.  The  ice  was  not  so 
bad  as  it  had  seemed  to  be  at  first  sight,  and  it  would  be 
possible,  if  we  j^ut  three  men  to  each  sledge,  to  get  them 
along  without  carrying  them. 

Then  we  broke  up  camp  and  set  out     ,^\\  the  heaviest 


W-    k 


Rl.sr    AND    KKFI.KCTIDN    (sKI' TKM IIKK    2j) 
(liy  the  Aiitlior,from  a  pltotograpli) 

bit  of  ice-travclling  which  we  had  yet  had.  In  many 
places  we  had  to  carr)-  each  S'  >dge  Ijodily  up  the  steep 
slopes  of  the  ridges  we  had  to  cross,  while  as  we  de- 
scended the  other  side  the  unfortunate  man  who  went 
behind  had  to  hold   it  back  \  uh  all  his  miijht.     If   he 


was  evi- 


THE  DESCENT  TO  AMERALIKEyORD  ,4, 

slipped,  down  went  lie  and  the  sledge  on  ^o  the  heels  of 
the  others  in  front,  and  the  xMr.,le  group  slid  on  together 
Often,  however,  we  were  lucky  enough  to  hit  upon  the 
course  of  a  fr)zen  river,  which  gave  us  an  easy  though 
somewhat  winding   passage  among   the   hummocks   and 


UN    THE   AFTKRNOON   OF   SEI-nOMIKR    2^  :    IXTO  liETTKR    ICE   A(;AIN 

i-idges  of  ice,  which  often  formed  cliffs  with  nearly  per- 
pendicular walls.  In  one  case  we  had  to  pass  through  a 
narrow  cleft  which  only  just  gave  us  room,  and  at^  the 
bottom  held  a  little  stream  only  partially  frozen,  the  water 
of  which  stood  well  above  our  ankles. 

In  the  afternoon  we  at  last  passed  out  of  the  worst 
of  the  ice,  and  could  again  take  the  sledges  singly.  The 
surface  uas  now  tolerably  good,  and  it  grew  still  better 
but  the  wmd  was  awkward,  as  it  was  always  blowing  the' 
sledges  around.  A  good  way  farther  on  I  discovered  a 
moraine  running  across  the  ice  in  an  casterlv  rlin-.tion 


142 


NANSEAT  IN  THE  FJWZEN   WORLD 


VA<\ 


■ 


from  the  land.     I  imagined  that  this  moraine  must  mark 
the  Hmit  between  the  streams  of  ice,  more  especially  be- 
cause  it  lay  in  a  depression,  and  as  I  coulci   not  see  any 
good  in  getting  into  the  full  current  of  another  ice-stream, 
I   determined   to  work  down   toward    land   on    the   north 
side  of  the  moraine.     We  now  halted,  and  the  lent  having 
been  pitched  and  Balto  sent  out  to  look  for  water  for  the 
coffee,   Sverdrup    and    I    set    off   downward    toward    the 
land  to  see  whether  the  ice  were  practicable  here.     We 
had  not  gone  far  before  we  saw  that  our  opportunity  had 
come.     We  seemed  to  ha\e  crossed  to  the  south  side  of 
the  stream  of  ice  which   fell   into  (iodthaabsfjord,  for  the 
surface  seemed    to  fall   away  to   the  south,  or  more  cor- 
rectly toward  the  land  which  lay  straight  before  us.     We 
went    back   with   the    encouraging   news,  and    the    whole 
l>arty   drank     their    coffee    in   the    highest  sj)irits.     The 
prospect  of  once  more  feeling  dryland  beneath  our  feet 
was  now  not  far  off,  and   this  was  enough   to  fill   us  with 
delight.     As  soon   as    we   could    we  went   on  ag;iin,  and 
with    the    wind  behind    u^    made  good    progress,   the    ice 
being  relatively  smooth  and  yet  often  falling  rapidly.     We 
were  disapijointed.  however,  in  our  hope  of  reaching  land 
that  eveiu'ng,  as,  owing    lo    the    gathering    darkness,  we 
l)resently  had  to  stop.      T.ut  on   the  whole  we  wer-  more 
than  satisfied  with   the  day's  work,  as  we  had  advanced  a 
good  deal   farther  than  we  hatl  had  any  reason   to  ho|)e  in 
the  morning. 

Next  day,  Sei)ti'mber  24,  we  turned  out  r.iih'  and  M't 
oil  with  the  deternu"i-,ation  to  wm\\  land  that  daw  Thi.s 
time,  loo,  we  wvxv  not  disa|)pointrd.  \\  c  pushed  on  last, 
as  th(>  gradient  was  often  tolerably  strij)  and  gave  us 
much  help.     The   wind   was   lair,  tuu,  the   ice  easy,  and 


lUst  mark 
:cially  bc- 

sec  any 
:c-,strcani, 
he  iiortli 
it  havinn- 
ir  for  llie 
.vard  the 
,'re.  We 
iiiity  had 
.h  side  of 
1,  for  the 
lore  cor- 
ns. W'r 
le  whole 
ts.  The 
our  feel 

us  with 
;aiii,  and 

the  ice 
lly.  We 
liiiLi;  land 
ness,  we 
M'e  more 
vr.nced  a 

ho|)e  in 

and  set 
V.       '\'h\s 

on  f.ist, 
ga\e  us 
asy,  and 


77/7.    DESCENT  TO  AMERAUKFyORD  ,43 

everything  promising.  Some  way  down  a  reconnaissance 
proved  necessary,  as  the  ice  lierc  got  rather  rougher.  I 
went  on  in  front  and  soon  found  myself  upon  thc'brow  of 
an  ,ce-slopc  which  overlooked  a  beautiful  mountain  tarn, 
the  surface  of  which  was  covered  with  a  sheet  of  ice' 
I5eyond  ^^•as  a  gorge  through  which  a  rixer  from  the  tarn' 


"uroN  n.K  ,:kuu  .,..  an  uk-sm,,.,.;  umi.  u  ov,, a. „„<■...  a  mkaumiu,,  moun- 

TAIN    TAKN  " 

•'"'  'I"unwar<k  while  to  the  right  the  great  glacier  sloped 
cveidydown  t<.  its  vm\  moraine,  and  would  have  formed 
the  most  magnifKvnl  coasting-hill  imaginable,  but  for  the 
Mc.i.es  that  laysratterrd  over  its  surface.  Here  was  an 
oasy  descent  for  us.  an<l  no  obstacle's  t<.  separate  us  from 
"I"-  g..al.  I  soon  hau  the  whole  partv  by  me.  and  we 
htood  enjoying  the  sight  of  the  !:„u|  b^low.     .\fler  I  hr 


-  1 

Hi 


144 


NANSJ^N  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


taken  a  couple  of  photoL,n-a])hs,  we  set  off  down  the  last 
ice-slope.  It  was  steep,  steeper  jjerhaps  than  any  we  had 
run  down  before,  and  we  had  to  use  our  brakes ;  but  the 
sledges  went  gayly,  and  soon  we  were  safe  and  well  upon 
the  frozen  tarn  below  the  glacier,  with  the  inland  ice 
forever  left  behind. 

Wc   now  jjushed   across   the  tar-^    toward  the  river  on 
the  other  side.     The  ice  was   not  e.erywhere  quite  safe, 
but   by  moving  carefully   we    reached    the   rocks  beyond 
without  mishap,  took  off  the  "  crampoons  "  which  we  had 
been  using  the  last  few  days,  and,  like  schoolboys  released, 
ran  wiltlly  about  the  shore.     Words  cannot  de.-,cribe  what 
It  was  for  us  only  to  have  the  earth  and  stones  again  be- 
neath our  feet,  or  the  thrill   that  went  through  us  as  we 
felt   the   elastic   heather   on    which   we  trod,  and  smelled 
the  fragrant  scent  of  grass  and  moss.      Behind  us  lay  the 
inland    ice,   its    cold,  gray    sloi)e    sinking    slowly    toward 
the  lake;   l)efore   us  lay  the  genial  land.     Away  down  the 
valley  we  could  see  headland   beyond  headland,  covering 
and  ()verlapi)ing  each  other  as  far  as  the  eye  could   reach. 
Here  lay  our  course,  the  way  down  to  the  fjord. 


I 


ri 


THE   BOAT  AND    ITS    liUILDKR 


:)uld  reach. 


CHAPTER    IX 

ARRIVAL    AT    GODTHAAB  ' 

Next  morning,  September  .9,  „e  carried  tlie  boat  down 
to   he  water      It  was  desperate  work  plodding  along  with 
.t  through  th,s  sticky  sand,  in  which  our  feet  sank  deep 
and  fixed  themselves,  and  wheezed  like  the  piston  of  an 
a,r.pump  as  we  pulled  them  out  again  at  each  s.  ,p.     But 
at  last  we   reached   the  water's   edge,  and  set  the  boat 
down,  to  go  back  and  get  the  rest  of  our  things.     There 
were  any  number  of  gulls  down  here,  and  we  had  looked 
forward  to  the  prospect  of  a  supply  of  fresh   ,neat :  but 
-^..  unately,  they  kept  at  a  respectful  <,istance.  a  .id  : 
hnd   no  chance  of  a  shot.     When    we  got  back  to  our 
campmg-place,  we  came  to   the  conclusion   that  we  had 
Kad  quite  enough  of  the  .sands,  and  determined  to  carry 

»  l>nm  Nan.sen's  /trross  Greenlautt, 
10 


146 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


lih 


i;  S 


I 


the  other  things  over  the  higher  ground,  rough  and  diffi- 
cult though  it  was. 

When  we  got  down  to  the  shore  again,  we  saw  that  the 
boat  was  now  afloat  a  long  way  out  in  the  water,  as,  while 
we  had  been  away,  the  fjord  had  risen  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  flood  all  the  outer  part  of  the  sands.  Luckily  Sverd- 
rup  had  been  thoughtful  enough  to  moor  her  fast  by 
driving  a  stake  into  the  ground,  though  we  had  left  her  so 
far  from  the  edge  of  the  water  that  we  thought  she  was 
quite  safe.  He  now  waded  out  to  her,  and  rowed  her  in 
to  a  point  of  land  close  by,  while  I  moved  the  baggao-e  to 
meet  him  at  the  same  spot.  Thus,  at  last,  after!a  day's 
labor,  we  had  overcome  one  more  obstacle,  and  were  ready 
to  embark  on  a  good  sea-way. 

After  we  had  had  our  dinner  we  set  out  upon  our  first 
voyage,  our  destination  being  the  farther  side  of  the  fjord, 
along  which  we  meant  to  coast  on  our  way  outward.  We 
discovered  at  once  that  our  boat  travelled  much  better 
than  we  had  expected.  She  did  not  prove  to  be  a  fast 
craft,  certainly,  but  we  could  get  along  in  her,  and  reached 
the  other  side  of  the  fjord  after  what  we  considered  to  be 
a  remarkably  quick  passage.  Nor  was  water-tightness  one 
of  our  boat's  virtues,  for  we  had  to  take  to  baling  with  one 
of  the  soup-bowls  about  every  ten  minutes. 

Just  here,  the  head  of  the  fjord  formed  a  little  bay  or 
inlet,  which  seemed  to  us,  in  our  present  state  of  mind,  an 
unusually  attractive  spot.  It  ended  in  a  peaceful,  gentle 
valley  — a  valley  of  long,  brown  slopes  and  stretches  of 
moss  and  stones,  and  skirted  by  low,  round  hills  ;  just  the 
ground  that  is  most  welcome  to  the  reindeer  and  his  pur- 
suer. Our  interests  still  centred  in  all  that  we  could  con- 
nect with  food  and  the  pursuit  of  game,  and   the  more 


ii 


D 

h  and  diffi- 

aw  that  the 
2r,  as,  while 
I  an  extent 
:kily  Sverd- 
ler  fast  by 
left  her  so 
ht  she  was 
I  wed  her  in 
baggage  to 
fter  a  day's 
were  ready 

)n  our  first 
f  the  fjord, 
vard.  We 
Lich  better 
be  a  fast 
id  reached 
ered  to  be 
itness  one 
5  with  one 

tie  bay  or 
\  mind,  an 
Fill,  gentle 
retches  of 
;  just  the 
d  his  pur- 
!ould  con- 
the   more 


lVa.v  s  .  ^  As7r^:-,eM.cdi.n;r(fn.m^"l;^"s!!:."^'.^'V'.^;'' '"  ', ■'"'"'■Jj'b. -jnH.  below  .he  Arctic  Circle);  al,„ 
' — ^ """  '"  '"''ei'fiuKncf  Hay  ami  Riiirii  across  the  ,Si,ih  parallel) 


I 


148 


NANSEN  IN  IHE  FROZEN   WORLD 


\ 


\v 


I 


poetic  reader  must  forgive  us.  To  us,  at  this  time,  this 
was  the  most  beautiful  side  of  Nature  ;  and  for  her  true 
beauty  — the  lofty  peaks,  the  snow-clad  mountains,  the 
precipitous  cliffs,  and  all  the  glories  of  barrenness,  glories 

of  which   Ameralikfjord  has  enough  and  to  spare we 

had  no  eyes  of  appreciation.  Such  delights  are  for  that 
true  lover  of  Nature,  the  tourist,  as  he  wanders  among 
them  on  his  comfortable  steamer,  with  abundance  of  warm 
clothing  and  good  food. 

Then   we   worked    along    the   stupendous  cliffs  which 
form   the   northern   shore   of  Ameragdla,   as   the   inmost 
branch   of  Ameralikfjord  is   called,   and   stopped   for  the 
night  at  a  spot  where  we  could  land  our  boat  and  find  flat 
ground  enough  to  sleep  upon  —  accommodation  not  to  be 
procured  ever)where.     We  had  not  advanced  much  that 
day,  but  we  were  quite  satisfied,  and  very  pleased  to  be  on 
the  sea  once  more.     Our  chief  delight,  however,  was  the 
prospect  of  eating  our  fill  of  good  fresh  meat  after  nearly 
seven  weeks  of  the  driest  of  food.     During  our  row  I  had 
shot  six  big  blue  gulls.     At  first  I  missed  several  times, 
as  the  birds  kept  out  of  range,  but   at  last  one  ventured 
nearer,  and  then  I  had  no  further  trouble.     Gulls,  as  most 
people  know,  are  incjuisitive  birds;  so  when  I  had  thrown 
one  dead  body  out  to  float,  the  others  m  1st  needs  come 
to  look  at  it,  and  I  l)rought  down  one  after  the  other,  and 
stocked  our  larder  for  the  time. 

These  gulls  are  big  l)irds,  and  we  determined  to  have 
two  apiece  for  our  evening  meal.  They  were  skinned, 
put  two  at  a  time  into  boiling  water,  and  cooked  as  little 
as  possible.  S\erdrup  was  afterward  asked  whether  he 
took  care  to  clean  them  properly.  "Oh,  I  don't  know," 
he  answered;  "  I  saw  Nansen  pull  somet'-'ng  out  of  them, 


ARRJVAL   AT  GODTHAAB 


149 


time,  this 
)r  her  true 
itains,  the 
:ss,  glories 
)are  —  we 
e  for  that 
rs  among 
e  of  warm 

ffs  which 
le  inmost 
d  for  the 
d  find  flat 
not  to  be 
iiLich  that 
I  to  be  on 
r,  was  the 
ter  nearly 
"ow  I  had 
ral  times, 
ventured 
),  as  most 
d  thrown 
eds  come 
ther,  and 

to  have 
skinned, 
as  little 
ether  he 
t  know," 
of  them, 


and  I  suppose  it  was  part  of  the  inside  ;  and  some  more 
came  out  in  the  pot  while  they  were  cooking.  All  I  can 
say  is,  I   never  tasted  bet;:er  birds  in  my  life."     And  he 


SHdOTINd    CriI.S    KKOM    THE    lioAT 
(/>;>'  .•).  lUoch,  <i/ti-r  />/iotogr,ifilt  and  sketch) 


was  quite  right :  we  both  thought  we  had  never  had  any- 
thing which  could  be  compared  with  those  gulls ;  the  ten- 
derest  of  chickens  could  not  have  been  better.  Whether 
the  cause  lay  in  our  appetites,  or  the  peculiar  method  of 
preparation,  I  will  not  attempt  to  decide.  We  looked  for 
no  reason  at  the  time,  but  tore  our  birds  in  pieces  as  fast 
as  teeth  and  fingers  would  allow.     It  was  not  long  before 


150 


A'ANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


■    ii 


the  first  two  had  disappeared,  and  then  we  set  to  work 
upon  the  second  with  greater  deHberation  and  more  pro- 
longed enjoyment.  We  finished  with  the  broth  in  which 
they  had  all  been  boiled.  This  had  a  very  characteristic, 
gamey  taste,  which  added  much  to  its  peculiarity,  though 
we  were  not  quite  certain  to  what  we  should  attribute  its 


origm. 


Language,  in  fact,  has  no  words  which  can  adequately 
describe  the  satisfaction  of  the  two  savages  who  sat  that 
evening  on  the  northern  shore  of  Ameragdla,  and  dipped 
each  his  hands  into  the  pot,  fished  out  the  body  of  a  gull, 
and  conveyed  it,  piece  by  piece,  head,  feet,  and  all,  into 
the  depths  of  his  hungry  stomach.     The  light  of  the  fire 
meanwhile  was  almost  dimmed  by  the  brighter  glory  of 
the  northern  lights.     The  whol  ;  heaven  blazed,  both  north 
and  south  ;  the  lights  swept  onward,  and  then  returned 
again;  and  suddenly  a  whirlwind  seemed  to  pass  across 
the  sky,  driving  the  flames  before  it,  and  gathering  them 
together  at  the  zenith,  where  there  was  a  sparkling  and 
a  crackling  as  of  burning  fire,  which  almost  dazzled  the 
eyes  of  the  onlooker.     Then  the  storm  seemed  to  cease, 
the  light  died  slowlv  away,  there  was  nothinu"  left  but  a 
few  hazy  flecks,  which  sailed  across  the  starlit  sky  as  we 
stood  there  still  gazing.     Such  a  display  of  northern  lights 
I  have  never  seen,  either  before  or  since.     And  there,  be- 
low us,  lay  the  fjord,  cold  and  impassive,  dark  and  deep, 
and  girt  round  about  by  steep  walls  of  rock  and  towering 
mountains,  the    fann'liar   fjord   landscape  of    the   west  of 
Norway. 

Next  day  things  did  not  go  quite  so  well  with  us,  as  in 
the  course  of  the  morning  a  head-wind  sprang  up,  which 
blew  so  hard  that,  instead  of  making  progress,  we  were 


|i 


2t  to  work 
more  pro- 
h  in  which 
iracteristic, 
ty,  though 
ttribiite  its 

idequately 
o  sat  that 
nd  dipped 
'  of  a  gull, 
d  all,  into 
of  the  fire 
r  glory  of 
)oth  north 
!  returned 
ass  across 
ring  them 
kling  and 
izzled  the 

to  cease, 
left  but  a 
sky  as  we 
lern  lights 
there,  be- 
and  deep, 

towering 
2  west  of 

us,  as  in 

up,  which 

we  were 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB  j^^ 

almost  driven  backward,  and  our  litde  cockle-shell  danced 
up  and  down  upon  the  waves  to  such  an  extent  that  there 
seemed  every   chance   of  our  capsizing.      She   proved  a 
good  sea-boat,  however,  and  never  shipped  a  drop  of  water, 
except  that  which  ran  in  unceasing  streams  through  her 
bottom.     Against  the  breeze,  though,  she   travelled  very 
heavily,  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  land,  rest 
meanwhile,  and   hope  that  the  wind  would  drop  toward 
evening.     This  it  eventually  did,  and  we  embarked  again. 
It  was  not  long  before  we  reached  Nua,  as  the  point  is 
called  which  lies  at  the  mouth  of  Itivdlek  Fjord,  the  north- 
ern branch  of  Ameralik.     Here  the  country  was  less  wild 
and  broken,  and,  with  its  low  ridges  covered  with  moss 
and  heather,  promised  excellent  reindeer-ground. 

It  was  a  fine,  still  evening,  and  we  now  set  about  to  cross 
the  fjord.     This  was  the  longest  sea-passage  we  had  as  yet 
attempted ;  but  all  went  well,  and  we  were  soon  across  to 
the  opposite  shore.     It  was  dark  by  this  time,  and  we  put 
to  land  to  get  some  supper.     Here,  however,  we  found  nei- 
ther  fuel  nor  water,  and  had  to  eat  our  food  cold  and  with- 
out  dnnk,  a  state  of  things  to  which  we  were,  nevertheless 
well  used.     We  had  thought  of  pushing  on  farther  during 
the  night,  but  we  now  saw  some   ominous  storm-clouds 
coming  up  from  the  west,  and  gathering  about  the  sharp, 
wild  peaks  on  the  north  side  of  the  fjord.     The  night,  too 
was  so  dark  that  it  would  have  been  difi^cult  to  cross  the 
fjord  again,  as  we  wished  ;  and  so  we  determined  to  bring 
the  boat  ashore,  and  get  a  little  sleep,  in  the  hope  that 
the  moon  might  come  to  our  help  later.     During  the  oper- 
ation  of  beaching  the  boat,  Sverdrup  was  unlucky  enough 
to  fall  into  the  water,  which  is  not  very  pleasant  just  be- 
fore bedtime,  and  when  one  has  so  little  in  the  way  of  a 
change  of  clothes. 


'52 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


?M 


11 


w 


»    t 


I 


There  was  no  improvement  in  the  weather,  and  we  slept 
till  the  morning  of  October  i.  It  was  a  splendid  sunny 
day,  and  there  was  a  gentle  wind  blowing  to  help  us. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning  we  crossed  the  fjord  again, 
and  went  ashore  to  get  ready  a  substantial  dinner  of ''two 
gulls  apiece  and  a  soup  of  unsurpassed  excellence.  To 
the  broth  in  which  the  birds  had  been  cooked  we  added 
peas  and  bread,  and  the  compound  was  so  invigorating 
that  we  literalb^  felt  the  strength  grow  in  us  as  we  took 
down  one  basin  after  another. 

Unluckily,  at  this  spot  where  we  had  landed  there  was  a 
great  abundance  of  crowberries,  and  as  a  matter  of  course 
we  added  them  to  our  bill  of  fare.     It  was  long  since  we 
had  had  access  to  fresh,  wholesome,  \egetable  food,  and 
we  actually  indulged  ourselves  beyond  the  bounds  of  rea- 
son.    First  we  ate  the  berries  standing ;  and  then,  when 
we  could  stand  no  longer,  we  ate  them  sitting;  and  when 
this  posture  became  at  last  too  wearisome,  we  lay  prone  at 
our  ease,  and  jDrolonged  the  debauch  to  incredible  lengths. 
When  we  landed  there  had  been  no  wind,  but  now  a  stiff 
northerly  breeze  sprang  up,  which  blew  up  the  fjord,  and 
made  any  attempt  at  further  progress  on  our  part  quite  out 
of  the  question.     All  we   could  do,  therefore,  was   to   lie 
here,  and  go  on  with  our  crowberries.    At  last  we  grew  so 
torpid  that  we  had  not  the  energy  to  pick  the  berries  any 
longer  with  our  hands,  and  so  we  turned  on  our  faces,  and 
went  on  gathering  them  with  our  lips  till  we  fell  asleep. 
We  slept  till  evening,  and  when  we  woke,  there  hung  the 
great  black,  luscious  berries  still  before  our  very  lips,  and 
on  we  went  eating  them  till  we  dozed  off  again.     If  what 
people  say  is  true,  that  gluttony  is  one  of  the  deadly  sins, 
then  may  Heaven's  mercy  save  us  from  the  dire  punish- 


d  we  slept 
lid  sunny 
)  us. 

)rcl  again, 
or  of  two 
nee.  To 
kve  added 
'igoratin«: 
we  took 

ere  was  a 
of  course 

since  we 
bod,  and 
Is  of  rea- 
en,  when 
nd  when 

prone  at 

lengths. 
)w  a  stiff 
jord,  and 
(uite  out 
IS   to   lie 

grew  so 
"ries  any 
Lces,  and 
1  asleep, 
lung  the 
lips,  and 

If  what 
dly  sins, 

punish- 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB  i^^ 

ment  ihat  must  await  us  for  what  we  did  that  day  in  Ame- 
rahkfjord.  It  has  always  been  a  cause  for  wonder  to  me 
that  we  did  not  pay  the  penalty  then  and  there ;  but  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  xve  suffered  no  ill-effects  from  our  excesses 
At  midnight  the  wind  dropped,  and  1  turned  the  crew 
out.     In  spite  of  the  crowberries,  Sverdrup  had  had  sufH- 


IIV    AMERALIKI.il. KI)   on    TlIK    MOKNI.NG   OK    OCToliER    I 
{From  It  //lotii^rii/'/i) 

cient  energy  in  the  course  of  the  evening  to  collect  some 
wood  and  fetch  water  in  the  event  of  our  needing  a  meal 
in  the  night.  We  now,  therefore,  fortified  oursdves  for 
work,  and  by  one  o'clock  we  were  afloat,  ready  to  push  on 
with  renewed  energy.  We  made  our  way  quickly  along 
the  shore  in  intense  darkness.  The  phosphorescence  of 
the  water  was  almost  as  brilliant  as  anything  that  tropical 
seas  can  show.  The  blades  of  our  oars  gleamed  like 
molten  silver,  and  as  they  stirred  the  surface  the  effect  was 


^54 


NANSEN  IN  THE    FROZEN   WORLD 


W\ 


■ 


seen  in  the  glittering  radiance  that  stretched  far  below. 
The  whole  scene  was  very  grand  as  we  passed  along  under 
the  beetling  cliffs,  where  we  could  see  scarcely  anything 
^ut  the  flashes  of  phosphorescence  which  flitted  upon  the 
water  round  about  us,  and  danced  and  played  far  away  in 
the  eddies  of  our  wake. 

We  seemed  to  have  luck  with  us  just  now  —  a  state  of 
things  to  which  we  were  not  much  accustomed.  The 
weather  was  fine,  and  there  was  no  wind ;  so,  to  make  th- 
best  use  of  our  opportunities,  and  keep  the  steam  up,  we 
had  recourse  to  frequent  stimulants  in  the  way  of  meat- 
chocolate.  Rations  were  served  out  often  and  liberally, 
and  with  apparent  effect,  for  we  made  rapid  progress. 

At  dawn,  while  we  were  resting  at  a  certain  spot,  we 
heard  numbers  of  ptarmigan  calling  in  the  scrub  close  by 
us.  It  would  have  been  easy  to  bag  some,  and  I  was 
tempted  to  try ;  but  we  thought  we  had  no  time  to  waste 
on  land  for  such  a  purpose,  so  we  showed  an  heroic  deter- 
mination by  rowing  away  from  the  enticing  spot. 

We  rowed  on  all  the  morning  without  stopping,  except 
for  chocolate.  Along  the  whole  stretch  of  shore  the  rocks 
fell  so  abruptly  into  the  water  that  there  were  but  two  or 
three  places  where  a  landing  was  possible.  About  noon, 
to  our  great  astonishment,  we  found  ourselves  ipproach- 
ing  the  mouth  of  the  fjord.  Here  we  came  upon  a  point 
with  a  nice  flat  stretch  of  beach,  and  pulled  in  to  land. 
The  spot  seemed  a  favorite  camping-place,  for  there  were 
several  rings  of  stones  marking  the  sites  of  Eskimo  tents, 
and  masses  of  seals'  bones  and  similar  refuse  strewn  about 
the  place. 

The  consciciSness  of  having  got  so  far  made  us  unus- 
ually reckless.     We  felt  tb.at  we  should  soon  be  in  Godt- 


\%  \ 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB  ,55 

haab   now,  and   •-    honor  of   the  occasion  we   contrived 
a  dinner  which,  in  magnificence,  surpassed  even  that  of 
the  day  before.     We  had  now  no  need  for  parsimoay  or 
self-restraint,  and  no  meal  through  >ut  the  course  of  the 
expedition  came  up  to  this  in  extravagance.     We  began 
with  sea-urchins,  or  sea-eggs,  which   I  collected  in  num- 
bers on   the   beach  close  by.     The  ovaries  of  these  are 
especially  good,  and  little  inferior  10  oysters,  and  of  this 
delicacy  we  consumed  huge   quantities.     We   dien  vvent 
on  to  gulls  and  guillemots,  which   were  followed   by  the 
usual    exceilent    soup.     Biscuit    and   butte     we    had    in 
abundance,  and  there  were  plenty  of  crowbcrries  for  him 
that  had  recove-f  1  from  the  surfeit  of  the  preceding  day. 
It  was,  indeed,  a  d'-.ner  worthy  of  the  name,  as  Sverdrup 
saifl.     It  was  no  eusy  matter  for  us  to  conve\-  ourselves 
into  the   boat  again,  and  bend  over  the  oars   to  do  our 
proper  work.     If  at  any  time  afterward  I  wished  to  bring 
Sverdrup   into  a  thoroughly  good  humor,  I   had  only  to 
call  to  mind  our  notable  dinner  at  the  great  camping-place 
in  Ameralikfjord. 

Fortune  was  strangely   Kind  to   us   that  day:  we  now 
had  a  fair  wind  behind  us,  aKd,  in  spite  of  our  torpor  and 
laziness,  we    made   rapid   progress   dri-.g  the  afternoon. 
Everything  was  rosy  to  us  now,  and  we   pulled  away  in 
sheer  fulness  of  heart.     There  was  one  thorn  m  the  side 
of    our   happiness,    nevertheless.     This   came   from    the 
absurdly  thin  little  rails  on  which  we  had  to  sit  instead  of 
thwarts.     I  suffered  so  much  that  I  felt  I  could  well  do 
without   a    certain    part    of    the    body   altogether.     We 
shifted,  and  shifted  again,  but  with  little  relief  to  our  sore- 
ness  and    discomfort.     The   happiness   of   this  world  is, 
indeed,  seldom  pure  and  unalloyed. 


<p% 


«#■ 


'rij 


156 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


v.\ 


\\\ 


'.  J I 


f.  >: 


■ 


Thus  we  passed  out  of  the  fjord,  and  saw  the  i;ea, 
islands,  and  scattered  rocks  spread  out  before  us,  and 
Hghted  by  the  most  glorious  of  sunsets.  The  whole  ex- 
panse seemed  to  be  susoended  in  an  atmosphere  of 
gently  glowing  light.  The  vision  stopped  us,  barbarians 
as  we  were,  and  deprived  us  of  speech  and  power  of  ac- 
tion. A  feeling  of  home  and  familiar  scenes  came  over 
us  ;  for  just  so  lie  the  weather-beaten  island  of  the  Nor- 
wegian coast,  caressed  by  flying  spray  and  summer  haze, 
the  outskirts  of  the  fjords  and  valle)s  that  lie  behind. 
It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  our  forefathers  were 
drawn  to  this  land  of  Greenland. 

We  had  set  ourselves  the  task  of  passing  the  mouth  of 
Kobbefjord,  an  inlet  which  lies  just  to  the  south  of  Godt- 
haab,  that  evening,  so  that,  in  the  event  of  bad  weather 
next  day,  we  could,  nevertheless,  easily  reach  our  destina- 
tion overland.  We  now  came  to  a  little  fjord  which  is 
not  marked  sufficiently  cleariy  on  the  map  we  had,  and 
which  we  therefore  wrongly  assumed  to  be  Kobbefjord, 
though  1  thought  at  the  time  that  it  lay  suspiciously  near 
to  the  mouth  of  Ameralik. 

Consequently,  we  thought  we  might  as  well  land  there 
and  then,  as  we  sat  simply  in  torture,  and  our  legs  were 
stiff  with  the  pain  and  discomfort  of  the  position.  But 
then  it  struck  us  that  we  had  better  keej)  on  till  we  could 
see  the  lights  of  Godthaab,  for,  in  our  innocence,  we  sup- 
posed them  to  be  visible  from  the  south.  We  saw,  how- 
ever, nothing  at  all,  and,  as  the  current  now  ran  hard 
against  us,  we  were  at  last  obliged  to  desist  and  go 
ashore.  This  was  at  a  poi-.t  which  lies  at  the  foot  of  a 
high  mountain,  win'ch  we  afterward  found  to  be  Hjorte- 
takken.     It  was  now  about    nine  o'clock,  and,  with    the 


>fl 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB  '  157 

exception  of  short  intervals  for  breakfast  and  dinner,  we 
had  been  fixed  to  those  seats  of  affliction  for  a  good 
twenty  hours.  It  was  indeed  a  welcome  change  to  have 
a  broad  surface  to  stretch  ourselves  upon. 

Phenomenal  as  our  dinner  had  been,  the  supper  which 
now  followed  was  not  much  less  so.  For  the  first  time 
since  we  left  the  :/ason  we  -^ould  go-  to  work  upon  bread, 
butter,  and  liver  "pate"  without  restraint  and  stingy  weigh' 
ing  out  of  rations.  We  drank  lemonade  to  our  heart's 
desire,  and  did  our  very  best  to  prevent  any  of  that  prov- 
ender which  we  had  been  economizing  so  long  from 
remaining  over,  to  be  carried  to  people  among  w^iom  it 
would  have  no  v-xlue.  This  thorght  it  was  that  harassed 
us,  and  urged  us  to  further  effort;  but  in  the  end  we 
were  obliged  to  desist,  with  our  task  as  yet  undone. 

This  was  the  last  of  these  wonderful  nights  which  we 
had  a  chance  of  enjoying  before  our  reentrancc  into  civili- 
zation.  We  felt  that  it  was  our  farewell  to  Nature  and  to 
the  life  which  had  now  grown  so  familiar  and  so  dear  to 
us.  The  southern  sky  was  as  usual  radiant  with  the 
northern  lights,  streamer  after  streamer  shooting  up  to  the 
zenith,  each  more  brilliant  than  the  last;  while  the  .stars 
glittered  in  their  usual  impassive  way,  their  brightness 
more  or  less  eclipsed  as  the  rival  lights  waxed  or  waned  in 
intensity. 

We  were  both  of  us  in  a  strange  mor  H  :  our  wander- 
ings  were  all  but  ended ;  we  had  met  with  manv  mishaps 
and  many  unforeseen  obstacles,  but  we  had  succeeded  in 
spite  of  all.  We  had  passed  through  the  drifting  ice,  and 
pushed  our  way  up  -long  the  coast;  we  had  crossed  over 
the  sncw-fields  of  the  conti-  nt,  and  made  our  way  out 
of  the  fjord   in  our  miserable   little   boat,   in  defiance  of 


ti 


igfatffii^ 


I    . 


adv( 


NANSEN  TN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


winds 


had 


worked  hard,  and  undeniably  gone 
through  a  deal  of  tribulation  to  reach  the  goal  which  now 
lay  so  near  to  us.  And  what  were  our  feelings  now? 
Were  they  feelings  of  triumph  or  exultation  ?  For  my 
own  part,  I  must  confess  that  mine  were  not  of  this  lofty 
order ;  to  no  other  feeling  could  I  attain  than  a  sense  of 
gross  repletion.     It  was  a  feeling  grateful  enough  tome; 

but  as  for  our  goal,  we  had  been  kept  waitimr  too  loncv 

there  was  too  little  surprise  about  its  eventual  attainment 
for  us  to  give  much  thought  to  it. 

We  curled  ourselves  up  in  our  fur  pelisses,  chose  each 
a  stretch  of  heather  among  the  rocks,  and  slept  our  last 
night  under  the  open  sky  as  well  as  we  had  seldom  slept 
before. 

It  was  late  before  we  woke  next  morning,  October  3, 
and  nhen  we  at  last  shook  off  our  sleep,  the  wind  had 
long  been  blowing  freshly  up  the  channel  leading  to  Godt- 
haab,  and  calling  us  to  work.  But  we  felt  that  for  once 
we  need  not  hurry  —  we  could  sleep  to  the  end,  and  vet 
reach  our  destination  in  good  time. 

We  began  breakfast  again  with  the  worthiest  intentions 
of  cpnsuminj'^  to  the  last  morsel  the  provisions  which 
remained  ;  but  though  wc  Utacked  them  manfully,  we 
had  to  put  to  sea  once  more  with  this  end  still  unattained. 
With  the  wind  behind  us  we  made  rapid  progress  north- 
ward, and  when  we  i)assed  the  spit  of  land  on  which  we 
had  camjDed  for  the  night,  we  found  tha*  we  had  been  all 
the  time  on  the  south  side  of  Kolibefjord.  This  fjord 
now  lay  before  us  set  in  a  circle  of  wild,  lofty  mountains, 
among  which  Hjortetakkon  was  most  conspicuous,  with 
its  sides  sprinkled  with  fresh  snow,  nnd  its  peak  from  time 
to  time  wrapped  in  light,  drifting  mist. 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB  ,^^ 

We  now  set  about  to  cross  the  fjord  to  the  south  side 
of  the  promontory  ol  which  Godthaab  itself  Hes.     As  we 
reached  the  middle  we  heard,  for  the  first  time  for  many 
weeks,  the  sound  of  unfamiliar  voices.     They  were  evi- 
dently   Eskimo    women    and    children    from    whom    the 
sounds  came.     They  were  screaming  and  shouting;  but 
though  we    listened,   we   could    make    out   nothing,  and 
though  we  looked,  there  was  no  one  to  be  seen.     Some 
time  afterward  we   learned    that   these  voices   must  have 
come  from  a  party  of  folk  who  had  gone  over  to  "Store 
Malene,"  a  mountain  lying  to  the  east  of  Godthaab,  to 
gather  berries.     They  had  caught  sight  of  us,  and  were 
shoutmg  to  one  another  that  they  could  see  two  men  in 
half  a  boat,  and  were  much  exercised  to  know  what  new 
sorcery  this  could  be.     Such  a  vessel  they  had  never  seen 
before,  and  they  did  not  at  p"  like  the  look  of  it. 

This   Eskimo  descriptic.  of  our  little  craft  as  half  a 
boat  was  really  very  happy,  as  it  did  much  resemble  the 
forepart  of  an  ordinary  boat.     Some  way  farther  on  we 
saw  m  the  distance  the  figure  of  a  man  sitting,  as  it  were 
in   the  water.      This  was   the  first   "kaiaker"  we   came 
across  on  the  west  coast.     Presently  we  caught  sicrhf  of 
tvvo  more;  they  were  out  after  seal,  and  took  no  notice 
of  us.      I  his  was  either  because  they  preferred  their  own 
business,  or  because   tliey  thought   there  was  something 
wrong   about   us.     There  is   no  doubt   that   they  saw  us 
long  before  we  saw  them,  for  the   I-:skimo  has  the  keenest 
of  eyes,  and  never  fails  to  use  them. 

As  we  rou-Ied  the  next  point.  Sve-drup,  who  was  row- 
ing bow,  caught  sight  of  some  houses  which  he  thought 
must  be  Godthaab.      I   turned  my  head  in  astonishment 
and  saw  some  l':skimo  huts,  but  could  not  think  them  to 


i^ 


"n^Hr 


1 60 


NAASEN  JN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Ifw 


I 


H: 


be  Godthaab,  as,  according  to  the  n.ap,  the  settlement  did 
not  lie  just  there.  Sverdrup  then  said  :  "  But  those  big 
houses  can't  belong  to  these  wretched  Eskimos."  I  then 
turned  quite  round,  and  could  now  see  the  slated  roof  of 
a  long  building,  surmounted  by  a  little  tower,  and  was 
quite  ready  to  agree  that  this  could  not  be  an  Eskimo 
abode,  though  it  struck  me  that  it  might  very  well  be  a 
warehouse.  But  as  we  passed  another  point,  we  found 
we  had  before  us  no  warehouse,  but  a  church  and  a  num- 
ber of  Eskimo  huts  lying  by  a  little  bay.  We  did  not 
think  it  was  any  use  landing  here,  and  were  for  keeping 
straight  on  ;  but  suddenly  a  fresh  breeze  sprang  up,  and 
made  it  very  heavy  work  to  row,  and  we  concluded  that 
it  would  be  better  to  go  ashore  at  once,  and  proceed  to 
Godthaab  overland. 

So  we  turned  our  little  tub  shoreward,  and  found  that 
a  number  of  Eskimos,  chiefly  old  women,  were  already 
swarminfi  out  of  the  houses,  and  coming  down  to  the 
beach  to  receive  us.  Here  they  gatliered,  chattering,  and 
bustling  to  and  fro,  and  gesticulating  in  the  same  strange 
way  as  we  had  seen  their  fellows  of  the  east  coast  often 
do.  We  could  see  little  or  no  difference  between  the  two 
branches  of  this  people  we  had  met ;  here  there  was  just 
the  same  outward  aspect  —  the  same  ugliness,  and  the 
.same  beaming  friendliness  and  good  humor. 

When  we  landed  they  thronged  around  us,  and  helped 
us  disembark  our  goods,  and  bring  the  boat  ashore,  all  the 
while  jabbering  unceasingly,  and  laughing,  in  wonder  and 
amusement,  at  us  two  poor  strangers.  While  we  were 
standing  there,  mounting  guard  over  our  gun  and  the 
more  valuable  of  our  possessions,  and  ignoring  the  crowd 
of  people  around  us,  whom,  of  course,  we  could  not  under- 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB  ,5, 

Stand  one  whit,  Sverdrup  said :  "  Here   comes   a   Euro- 
pean ! "     I  looked   up,  and  saw  a  young  man  advancincr 
toward  us.     He  was  clad  in  an  attempt  at  a  Greenland^ 
ers  dress,  but  had  a  Tam-o'-Shanter  cap  upon  his  head 
and  a  fair,  good-looking  face,  which  was  as  little  like  an 
Eskmio's  as  could  well  be.     There  could  be  no  mistake 
about  him ;  he  and  his  whole  demeanor  were,  so  to  say,  a 
direct  importation  from  "  the  King's  Copenhagen,"  as  it  is 
called  here.    He  came  up  to  us,  we  exchanged  salutations  • 
then  he  asked,  "  Do  you  speak  English  .?  "     The  accent 
was^distinctly  Danish,  and  the  question  somewhat  discom- 
fited me,  as  I  thought  it  a  little  absurd  for  us  to  set  to 
work  at  English  instead  of  our  ou  n  mother-tongue.     But 
before   I  could  answer,  he   luckily  inquired:    ''Are  vou 
Englishmen?" 

To  this  I  could  safely  answer,  in  good  Norse:  "  No-  we 
are  Norwegians."    "  May  I  ask  your  name  .?  "    "  My  nLme 
IS  Nansen,   and  we   have  just   come  from    the   interior " 
"Oh,  allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  taking  your  Doc- 
tor's degree."     This  came  like  a  thunderbolt  ^from  a  blue 
sky,  and  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  keep  myself  from  laughincr 
outright.     To  put  it  very  mildly,  it  struck  me  as  comical 
that  I  should  cross  Greenland  to  receive  congratulations 
upon  my  Doctor's  degree,  which  I  happened  to  have  taken 
just  before  I  left  home.     Nothing,  of  course,  could  have 
beeii  more  remote  from  my  thoughts  at  the  moment 

The  stranger's  name  was  Haumann.  He  was  a  good- 
natured,  sociable  native  of  Copenhagen,  who  was  now  in 
the  Greenland  Service,  and  acting  ns  assistant,  or,  as  they 
call  1  ,  "  Volontor,"  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  colony  of 
Godthaab.  We  subsequently  had  a  good  deal  of  his  soci- 
ety.     The  Superintendent,  he  told  us,  was  just  now 


It 


away 


IF 


'  m 


% 


h 


VI 


[pi 


162 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


from  home,  and  in  the  name  of  his  superior  he  offered  us 
a  hearty  welcome  to  the  colony.  Godthaab  itself  was  close 
by,  and  it  was  quite  by  chance  that  he  had  just  walked  out 
to  Ny  Herrnhut,  the  spot  where  we  landed,  to  see  the  mis- 
sionary. This  is  one  of  the  few  stations  established  by 
the  German  Moravian  Mission  in  Greenland. 
^  The  first  question  I  asked,  as  soon  as  I  could  get  an 
opportunity,  was  about  comn  uiication  with  Denmark,  and 
whether  the  last  ship  had  sailed.  From  Godthaab  I 
learned  that  the  last  ship  had  gone  two  months  or  more 
ago,  and  ther  was  none  now  that  we  could  catch.  The 
only  possible  chance  was  the  Fox,  at  Ivigtut,  but  she  was 
to  leave  in  the  middle  of  October,  and  the  place  was  300 
miles  away. 

These  tidings  were  anything  but  welcome.    It  had  been 
the  thought  of   cntching   a   ship   to    Europe  which   had 
spurred  us  on  during  our  crossing  of  the  ice ;  the  vision 
of  a  ship  had  haunted  us  unceasingly,  and  never  allowed 
us  the  enjoyment  of  rest  or  ease.     We  had  consoled  our- 
selves with  the  thougiit  that  we  could  make  up  for  lost 
tm-ie  on  board,  during  our  voyage  home ;  and  now,  when 
the  time  came,  we  found  that  our  ship  had  sailed  before 
ever  we  started  upon  our  journey  across  the  continent.    It 
was  a  magnificent  structure  of  hopes  and  longings  that 
now  sank  into  the  sea  before  our  eyes.     As  far  as  I  was 
concerned  personally,  this  was  not  of  much  account,  for, 
on  the  contrary,  I  was  quite  ready  to  spend  a  winter  in 
Greenland  ;  but  for  the  other  poor  fellows  it  was  another 
matter.     They  had  friends  and  relatives  —  one  of    them 
wife  and  children —  away  at  home,  whom  they  longed  to 
see,  and  they  had  often  talked  of  the  joys  of  their  return. 
And  now  they  would  have  to  wait  through  the  long  win- 


ii 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB 


163 


*: 


ter  here,  while  their  people  at  home  would  think  them 
long  since  dead.  This  must  never  be ;  a  message  must 
be  sent  off  at  once  to  the  Fox,  our  last  hope  of  relief. 
While  we  were  talking  the  matter  over,  we  were  joined 
by  another  European  —  the  Moravian  missionary,  Herr 
Voged.  He  greeted  us  very  kindly,  gave  us  a  hearty 
welcome,  and  would  not  hear  of  our  going  by  his  door 
unentertained. 

He  lived  in  the  building  with  the  tower  which  had  first 
caught  our  attention,  and  which   served  both  as  church 
and  as  a  residence  for  him.     We  were  received  here,  by 
the  missionary  and  his  wife,  with  unaffected  heartiness,  and 
It  was  with  a  strange  hiixture  of  feelings  that  we  set  foot 
once  more  in  a  civilized  dwelling,  after  four  months  of 
wild  life  on  shipboard,  in  our  tent,  and   in  the  open  air. 
The  room  we  were  taken  into  will  always  remain  vividly 
impressed  upon  my  memory.     Its  dimensions   were   not 
grand,  and  its  features  were   uniformity  and   simplicity; 
but  fo'-  us,  who  were  used  to  a  cramped  tent,  and  the  still 
greater  simplicity  of  the  open  air,  the  appointments  of  this 
house  were  nothing  less  than  luxury  itself.    The  mere  sit- 
tmg  upon  a  chair  was  a  thing  to  be  remembered,  and  the 
cigars  to  which  we  were  tieatcd  were  a  source  of  uncon- 
cealed satisfaction.    Then  the  cup  of  welcome  was  handed 
round,  while  coffee  and  food  were  being  prepared  for  us. 
It  was  a  queer  change  to  be  sitting  at  a  table  again,  and 
before  a  white  cloth,  and  to  be  using  knife  and  fork  upon 
earthenware  plates.     I  will  not  say,  unreservedly,  that  the 
change   was  altogether  for  the   better,  for  we   had  been 
thoroughly  comfortable  when  sitting  by  the  camp-fire,  and 
tearing  our  gulls  to  pieces  with  our  teeth  and  fingers,  with- 
out forks,  plates,  and  formalities. 


164 


^rANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


While  the  meal  was  in  progress,  the  pastor  of  God- 
thaab,  Herr  Balle,  arrived ;  soon  after  him  came  the 
doctor  of  the  place,  whose  name  was  Binzer.  The  news 
of  our  coming  had  already  reached  the  colony,  and  they 
had  hurried  out  at  once  to  bid  us  welcome.  We  were 
now  beset  with  questions  as  to  our  journey:  as  to  why 
we  had  changed  our  route,  how  we  had  got  out  of  the 
fjord,  where  we  had  left  the  others,  and  so  on  ;  all  our 
accounts  being  followed  with  the  most  lively  interest. 
Then  the  party  broke  up,  and  we  took  our  leave  of  our 
kind  host  and  hostess. 

When  we  got  out  of  doors,  we  found,  to  our  surprise, 
that  it  was  raining.  Our  luck  was  true  to  us  this  time, 
and  we  had  reached  the  habitations  of  men  none  too  soon, 
for  the  rain  would  have  been  very  unpleasant  to  us  in  our 
little  boat. 

We  were  assured  that  our  boat  and  things  should  be 
taken  care  of  and  sent  on,  and  then  we  started  o£f  to  walk 
in  the  rain  over  the  hills  to  Godthaab. 

After  a  time  our  way  brought  us  out  upon  a  project- 
ing point  of  rock,  and  we  saw  the  colony  lying  below  us. 
There  were  not  a  great  number  of  buildings  —  four  or 
five  European  houses,  a  church  perched  upon  an  emi- 
nence, and  a  good  many  Eskimo  huts.  The  whole  group 
lay  in  a  small  hollow  between  two  hills,  and  by  a  pleasant 
little  bay.  The  Danish  flag  was  flying  on  its  high  mast, 
which  stood  on  a  mound  down  by  the  water.  Crowds  of 
people  were  swarming  about.  They  had  all  come  out  to 
see  the  mysterious  strangers  from  the  interior  who  had 
arrived  in  half  a  boat. 

Then   we  made   our  way  down ;    but  we   had    hardly 
reached  the  houses  before  a  gunshot  rang  out  over  the 


■  5 


IHf: 


I 


t^.;ia 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB  165 

water,  and  was  followed  by  one  after  another,  in  all  a 
complete  salute.  We  had  parted  from  civilization  amid 
the  thunder  of  cannon,  and  with  this  same  thunder  we 
were  received  into  the  civilized  world  again,  for  to  such 
the  west  coast  of  Greenland  must  certainly  be  reckoned. 
It  might  have  been  supposed  that  we  were  individuals  of 
the  most  warlike  tendencies.     How  many  shots  they  fired 


\ 


IIOI.KTTE.      GREENLAND   WOMAN   OF   MIXED    RACE 

in  our  honor  I  cannot  say,  but  the  salute  was  well  sus- 
tamed.  The  little  natives  had  all  their  work  to  do  around 
the  guns  under  the  flagstaff,  as  we  were  passing  amon<^ 
the  houses  and  between  long  rows  of  Greenlanders  0I 
both  sexes,  who  crowded  around  and  linad.  the  way.    They 


h( 


if 


I 


1 66 


—  and 


JVJJVS-EJV  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


especially  th( 


strik 


women  —  were  u  siriKing  signt  in 
their  picturesque  attire.  Smiles,  good  nature,  and  here 
and  there,  perhaps,  a  little  unaffected  w^onder,  beamed 
from  all  the  faces  about  us,  and  added  a  new  sunshine  to 
the  surroundings. 

Then  our  eyes  fell  upon  a  more  familiar  sight  — the 
figures  of  the  four  Danish  ladies  of  the  colony,  who  were 
coming  to  meet  us,  and  to  whom  we  were  duly  presented. 
At  the  same  time,  it  struck  us  somewhat  curiously  to  see 
European  petticoats  again  among  all  the  skin  jackets  and 
trousers  of  the  fair  Eskimos. 

As  we  reached  the  Superintendent's  house,  the  salute 
was  brought  to  an  end,  and  the  native  gunners,  under  the 
lead  of  one  Frederiksen,  gave  us  a  ringing  cheer.  The 
Superintendent's  wife  now  welcomed  us,  on  her  own  part 
and  that  of  her  husband.  Here,  again,  we  were  tem- 
porarily entertained,  and  also  invited  to  dine  with  the 
doctor  at  four  o'clock. 

We  had  still  a  long  time  to  get  through  before  then, 
however,  though  \ve  had  plenty  to  do  in  the  way  of  wash- 
ing and  decorating  ourselves.  We  were  shown  up  into 
our  new  friend  Baumann's  room,  the  aspect  of  which, 
again,  was  sufficiently  unfamiliar  to  us  to  make  a  very 
vivid  impression  upon  our  minds.  Here  a  musical-box 
played  to  us  "  The  Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  an  air  which 
will  hereafter  never  fade  from  my  memory ;  and  here  we 
were,  for  the  first  time,  horrified  by  the  sight  in  a  glass 
of  our  sunburnt  and  weather-beaten  faces.  After  our 
long  neglect  in  the  way  of  washing  and  dressing,  we 
seemed  to  ourselves  little  fit  for  presentation  in  society, 
and,  both  in  our  faces  and  clothes,  a  considerable  number 
of  the  hues  of  the  rainbow  were  intrusively  conspicuous. 


m 

»: 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB 


167 


sight  in 
nd  here 
beamed 
shine  to 

It  — the 
ho  were 
esented. 
y  to  see 
:ets  and 

I  salute 
tder  the 
r.  The 
vn  part 
re  tem- 
ith   the 

•e  then, 
>f  wash- 
Lip  into 
which, 
a  very 
ical-box 
'  which 
lere  we 
a  glass 
:er  our 
ng,  we 
society, 
lumber 

LIOUS. 


\ 


It  was  an  indescribable  delight  to  plunge  the  head  into 
a  basin  of  water  once  more,  and  to  go  through  the  cere- 
mony of  an  honest  Saturday  night's  wash.  Cleanness 
was  not,  however,  to  be  obtained  at  the  first  attempt. 
Then  we  attired  ourselves  in  the  clean  linen,  so  to  say, 
which  we  had  brought  all  the  way  across  Greenland  for 
the  purpose ;  and,  thus  reconstituted,  we  felt  ourselves 
quite  ready  for  the  good  things  of  the  doctor's  well- 
provided  dinner-table. 

By  all  the   Danish  inhabitants   of  Godthaab  we  were 
entertained  with  unprecedented  hospitality,  and  the  lux- 
ury displayed   on   all   sides   was    quite   astonishing.     We 
had   expected   to  find  that  the  Europeans  exiled  to  this 
corner  of  the  world  would  be  so  influenced  by  the  na- 
ture of  their  surroundings,  and  the  primitive  section  of 
humanity  amid  which  they  dwelt,  that  they  would  have 
inevitably  forgotten    a   certain    amount    of    their    native 
etiquette.     And  therefore  our  surprise  was  great  when  we 
saw  the  ladies  appear  at  social  gatherings  hi  the  longest 
of  trains  and  gloves,   and   the  men   in^jlack   coats  and 
shirt-fronts    of    irreproachable    stiffness,    and    even     on 
occasions   going   to    the    extremity   of    the   conventional 
swallow-tail.     Surrounded,  as  we  were,  by  the  natives  in 
their    natural    and    picturesque     attire,    and     thoroughly 
unaccustomed  as  we  had  grown  to  all  these  things,  to  us 
the  absurdity  of  European  taste  in  such  matters'' seemed 
altogether  incongruous. 

We  two  were  now  safe  in  port,  and  the  next  thing  to 
be  done  was  to  send  iclicf  to  our  comrades  in  Ameralik- 
fjord  with  the  least  possible  delay.  They  had  no  means 
of  knowing  whether  wc  had  reaches'  our  destination,  or 
had  gone  to  the   bottom  of  the  fjord,  and   left   them  to 


lit 


It 


!! 


IP 

h 


I 


i63  NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 

Starve  to  death  out  H^ere.     And  after  this  was  done  we 
must  despatch  p  messac;e  to  the  Fox. 

In  the  cours.  of  ,he  afternoon  we  tried,  therefore  to 
arrange  matter. ,  ;  ,  ^  i thout  success.  No  sooner  had'  we 
arrived  than  a  ston.  from  the  south  had  sprung  u-,  and 
the  weather  wa.  .o  bad  that  the  Eskimos,  who  are  bad 
sailors  in  anything  but  their  "  kaiaks,"  would  not  venture 
upon  the  voyage  into  Ameralikfjord.  The  letter  to  the 
Fox  was  to  be  sent  by  one  or  two  "  kaiakers,"  but  we 
could  find  no  one  in  the  colony  who  would  undertake 
to  start  in  this  weather,  and  we  were  therefore  obliged  to 
wait  till  next  day. 

When    night  came,  and  lodging  had  to  be  found  for 
us,  Sverdrup  was  quartered   upon   the  before-mentioned 
Frederiksen,  the  carpenter  and  boat-buiMer  of  the  place, 
while  Herr  Baumann's  room  was  put  at  my  disposal.     It 
was  strange,  too,  to  find  myself  in  a  real  bed  again  after 
six  months'  absence.     There  can  be  few  who  have  en- 
joyed a  bed  as  completely  as  I  did  this  one.     Every  limb 
thrilled  with   delight   as   I   stretched   myself  on   the  soft 
mattress.     The  sleep  which  followed  was  not  so  sound  as 
I  could  have  expected.     I  had  grown  so  used  to  the  bag 
of  skin,  with  the  ice  or  rock  beneath  it,  that  I  felt  my 
present   couch    too  soft,  and   I  am   not   sure   that,   after 
a  while,  I  did  not  feel  a  faint  longing  for  the  old  order  of 
things. 

On  the  morning  of  October  4  I  was  roused  from  my 
unquiet  dreams  by  the  gaze  of  the  Eskimo  maid-servant 
who  had  come  with  the  morning  supply  of  tea  and  sand- 
wiches. After  this  early  meal  I  got  up,  and  went  out  to 
look  around  the  place. 

Down  by  the  beach  there  was  just  now  a  deal  of  life 


•i  \ 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB  '        jgp 

and  movement,  for  a  boat's  load  of  seals,  which  had  been 
caught  not  far  off,  had  just  come  in,  and  the  so-called 
"  flensing,"  or  process  of  cutting  the  blubber  out,  was  now 
in  progress.  I  went  down  with  Baumann  to  study  this 
new  phase  of  life.  The  Eskimo  women,  with  their 
sleeves  rolled  up,  knelt  in  numbers  around  the  gashed 
and  mangled  seals.  From  some  the  blood  was  taken,  and 
collected  in  pails,  to  be  afterward  used  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  black  puddings,  or  analogous  delicacies:  from 
.  others  the  intestines  were  being  drawn,  or  the  blubber  or 
flesh  being  cut.  All  parts  were  carefully  set  aside  for 
future  use. 

After  having  seen  enough  of  the  sanguinary  spectacle, 
and  duly  admired  the  dexterity  and  grace  displayed  by 
the  Eskimo  women,  as  well  as  the  good  looks  of  some 
among  them,  we  went  across  to  see  Sverdrup,  and,  if  he 
were  up,  to  ask  him  to  come  and  have  breakfast  at  the 
Superintendent's  house. 

When  we  entered,  however,  we  found  him  already  at 
table  with  his  host,  Herr  Frederiksen,  and  engaged  upon 
a  breakfast  of    roast  ptarmigan  and    other  delu  acies      I 
expressed   my  regret   that  this   was   the   case,  as   I   had 
lioped  that  we  should  breakfast  together.     But  Sverdrup 
could  see  no  reason  why  we  should  not  do  so  still.     He 
was  now  occupied  with  his  first  breakfast,  certainly,  but 
so   good  a  thing  would    easily    bear    repetition,  and    he 
expressed  himself  ready  at  once  to  begin  again.     So  he 
actually  did  ;  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  he  made  at  this 
tmie  a  regular  practice  of  eating  his  meals  twice  over 
For  three  days  he  stood  the  strain  ;  but  ifter  this  he  suc- 
cumbed, and  had  to  keep  his  bed  for  some  hours  in  con- 
sequence.    It  was  a  long  time,  indeed,  before  any  of  us 


Hi 


nl 


170 


JVJJVS£JV  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


returned  to  decent  ways  again,  and  were  content  to  take 
our  food  like  civilized  beings. 

Tn  the  course  of  the  morning  a  man  was  found  who 
was  considered    equal  to   the   task  of   carrying   our   de- 
spatches southward,  and  was  at  the  same  time  wil  ing  to 
undertake  the  journey.     The  man's  name  was  David,  and 
he  was  a  resident  of  Ny   Herrnhut.     He  was   to  go  to 
Fiskernces,  a  small  settlement  some  ninety  miles  to  the 
south,  and   there  to  send  the   letters  on   by  other  "  kai- 
akers."     An  errand  of  this  kind  is  usually  undertaken  by 
two  men  in  company,  as  risks  of  a  fatality  are  thus  much 
lessened.     But  as  the  same  David  was  not  afraid  of  the 
undertaking,  and  had  expressed  his  readiness  to  start  the 
same  afternoon,  I,  of  course,  had  no  objection  to  make. 
I  promised   h.im,  as   well   as  the  others  to  whom  he  was 
to  hand   the  despatches,  extra  pay  in  case  they  caught 
the  Fox. 

I  then  wrote  a  hurried  letter  to  Herr  Smith,  the  man- 
ager of  the  cryolite  quarry  at   Ivigtut.     The  Fox  being 
the  property  of  the  company  who  own  this  cjuarry,  it  la)- 
really  uith  the   local  manager  to  decide  what  course  the 
vessel  should  take;  but  I  also  wrote  to  the  captain  of  the 
ship.     In  bnth  these  letters  I  asked  that  the  vessel  should 
be  allowed  to  come  up  to  GoHthaab  to  fetch  us,  if  possi- 
ble.    I  did  not  propose  that  she  should  wait  at  Ivigtut  till 
we  could  join  her  there,  because,  in  the  present  uncertain 
state  of  the  weather,  it  was  quite  impossible  to  calculate 
how  long  it  would  take  us  to  get  the   rest  of  the  party 
from  Ameralikfjord,  and  cover  the  necessarv  .^00  miles  in 
open    boats.     As  far  as  we   could   judge,  ue  could   not 
reckon    upon    reaching    higtut   by   the   miudle   of    the 
month  —  the  date  at  which  the  ship  was  expected  to  sail 


'!. 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB  171 

—  and  we  could  not  ask  her  to  wait  an  indefinite  time  for 
us  down  there.  On  the  other  hand,  it  seemed  to  me  that, 
if  she  thought  of  doing  anything  on  our  behalf,  it  would 
be  to  come  and  fetch  us.  By  these  means  she  could  save 
time,  and  it  would  be  possible  to  reckon,  with  a  fair 
amount  01  accuracy,  how  many  days  the  voyage  to  Godt- 
haab  and  back  would  take  her. 

Furthermore,  in  case  my  messengers  should  catch  the 
Fox,  but  she  could  not  see  her  way  to  fetching  us,  I 
hastily  wrote  a  fev/  lines  to  Herr  Gamel,  of  Copenhagen. 

This  letter,  and  one  from  Sverdrup  to  his  father, 
brought  to  Europe  the  first  news  of  our  having  reached 
the  west  coast  of  Greenland,  and  contained  all  that  was 
known  of  our  journey  for  six  months.  In  one  respect 
they  hoM,  perhaps,  a  somewhat  unusual  position,  for  their 
postage  came  to  no  less  than  eighty-five  dollars. 

Our  messenger  promised  me  that  he  would  start  that 
very  afternoon.  He  did  make  the  attemj^t,  but,  as  far  as 
I  could  learn,  was  driven  back  by  stress  of  weather. 

As  things  were  just  as  bad  in  this  respect  when  even- 
ing came,  and  it  was  the  general  opinion  that  no  boat 
would  be  able  to  make  the  voyage  into  Ameralikfjord 
next  day  either,  the  pastor  proposed  that  a  couple  of 
men  should  be  despatched  in  "  kaiaks "  to  take  to  our 
companions  the  news  of  our  safe  arrival,  together  with 
a  temporary  supply  of  provisions,  with  which  they  could 
console  themselves  until  the  boats  could  be  sent  to  fetch 
them  away.  This  proposal  I  accepted,  of  course,  most 
gratefully;  and  while  the  pastor  vent  to  secure  his 
"kaiakers,"  two  plucky  brothers,  named  Terkel  and 
Hoseas,  who  belonged  to  Sardlok,  but  happened  at  this 
moment  to  be  at  Godthaab.  the  ladies  of  the  colony  set 


172 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


If  ■; 


delicaces.     These  were  stowed  away  in  the  two  canoes 
vh,Ie  I  supplemented  them  with  some  simpler  art  cTes  oi 
food    such  as  butter,  bacon,  and  bread,  and  last    bu    no 
east  some  pipes  and  tobacco.    Among  the  lat'e   1  a 

o;'t^rc'ct  r  f '■;  '^  "■■■*  ^  '--^ '  ^•"'  -^  -^  --^ 

01    tobacco,   for    Ba.tos   private   delectation  -  a   cresent 
«'h.ch   I   had  promised   him   up  on  the  inland  " 

ga.Ter.el,thee,drofrt:.oi:::hrLS1h; 
medmm  of  the  pastor,  an  exact  description  of  the  sp^ 
where  t  e  others  were  to  be  found,  and  pointed  out  to 
h.m  on  the  map,  which  he  understood  well 

Godtl^art""' .*"1T'  °f "'"  =•  *^^^  E-^^'™-  'eft 
Uoclthaab-two  bound  for  Ameralikfjord,  and  the  third 

for  F,skerna..s.     The  first  two,  who  were  e.x-cellont  h  nds 
at  the,r  work,  made  good  use  of  their  time,  and  fo  nd  o 
ompan,ons  on  the  n,or„i„g  of  the  following  daj-      B 
he   latter,  who  was  an   inferior   "  kaiaker,"  had     o  tu 
back,  and  was  a  long  time  before  he  finally  got  off     As 
far  as      could  n.ake  out,  he  was  seen  hanging  ab„ut  N, 
Herruhut,  wh.ch  was  his  home,  some  daj. Tatfr  ^ 

i  his  same  morning,  too.  a  boat  for  Ameralikfjord  macie 
an  attempt  to  star.,  but  only  lo  con.e  back  a  co     l" 
hours  afterward.     As  I  have  already  said,  these  G    en 
landers  are  ,,.  ,.r.a.  performers  with   the  oar     1„  t' " 
a  erno  n  they  .h...  ...other  try,  and  this  time,   tra;; 

-y.  we  s  n,  no  more  of  them ;  but,  as  we  subseciue  „  I 

earned,  they  got  no  farthe,  than  ,0  an  island  a  !,Me    ry 

o  .he  s..,.th,  w'.,ere  they  disen,barked    and  passed  the 

next  few  d.ay,  a,  a  tent  instead  of  returning,  though  they 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB  ,73 

were  no  more  than  an  hour's  row  distant  all  the  while 
There  was  a  very  good  reason  for  this  odd  conduct  as  it 
appeared,  for  had  they  come  back  they  would  have  lost 
all  the  pay  which  they  now  managed  to  put  to  their 
credit;  and,  besides,  they  would  have  had  nothing  like  so 
good  a  time  at  home  as  m  their  tent  on  the  island,  and 
therefore  they  felt  no  call  to  move  till  they  had  consumed 
their  whole  supply  of  provisions. 

Next  day  Uie  Superintendent  of  the  colonv,  Herr 
Bistrup,  returned,  togMher  with  Herr  Heincke  the 
German  missionary  from  Umanak,  a  Moravian  station  up 
the  fjc .  d,  ^,ome  forty  miles  from  Gcdthaab.  The  Superin- 
tendent had  been  in  Umanak,  when  a  "  kaiaker,"  who 
had  been  sent  off  from  the  colony,  brouoht  him  the  news 
of  our  arrival.  He  and  the  missionary  had  thereupon  at 
once  despatched  a  couple  of  men  in  canoes  into  Amera- 
hkfjord.  They  also  carried  a  supply  of  provisions  sent 
by  the  missionary  and  his  wife,  and  were  told  to  ^-emain 
with  our  party,  and  help  them  in  every  possible  way 

On  C)ctober  7.  Terkel  and  Hoseas  came  back  from 
Amerahkfjord  with  a  letter  from  Dictrichson,  tellino-  us 
that  they  now  felt  quite  comfortable  in  there,  as  they'had 
an  abundance  of  provisions,  and  now  knew  of  our  safe 
arrival  at  Godthaab. 

^  Two  days  later,  or  on  October  9,  the  weather  was  suffi- 
ciently favorable  tr.  allow  of  my  sending  off  an  ordinary 
Lsknno  boat,  which  I  had  borrowed  of  Herr  Voged,  the 
German  missionary  whom  we  had  first  met.  The  crew 
consisted  as  usual  chiefi  of  women.  The  same  dav.  too, 
the  first  boat,  commonly  known  as  "  the  whaler."  finallv 
left  the  island  on  which  its  crew  had  hitherto  been  pic- 
nicking. ^ 


1-1   '. 


I^f'^ 


'in  I 


\ii 


if 


lU:  1 


174  TV^^iVi-iiiy  /.V  7:6-^-   FROZEN  WORLD 

Several  days  now  passed,  and  as  we  had  heard  nothing 
of  our  companions,  we  began  to  expect  their  arrival  every 
moment.  The  Greenlanders  in  particular  were  extremely 
anxious  to  see  them. 

Like  all  Eskimos,  they  have  the  liveliest  imaginations, 
of  the  fruits  of  which  we  had  some  noteworthy  examples.' 
The  very  day  after  our  arrival  the  strangest  rumors  were" 
flying  about  among  the  natives  of  the  colony  as  to  our 
experiences  upon  tlie  inland  ice.  We  were  said  to  have 
taken  our  meals  in  the  company  of  the  strange  inhabi- 
tants of  the  interior,  who  are  double  the  size  of  ordinary 
men.  We  had  also  come  across  the  tiny  race  of  dwarfs 
who  inhabit  the  rocks  in  the  recesses  of  tlie  fjords.  Of 
the  feet  of  these  little  people  we  had  seen  numerous  traces 
HI  the  sand,  and  we  e\en  had  two  specimens  of  the  race 
in  our  compan\'. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  Mas  reported  that  two  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition  had  died  on  the  way ;  but  of  this 
sad  occurrence  we,  as  was  quite  natural,  had  no  desire  to 
speak. 

At  first,  indeed,  we  were  regarded  as  possessing  certain 

ahnost  supernatural  attributes,  and  it  was  feared  that  we 

had    achieved    the    heroic  feat    of   crossing    the    dreaded 

inland  ice  by  the  aid  of  means  not  strictly  orthodox.    And, 

therefore,  as  soon  as  Sverdrup  or  I  showed  ourselves  in 

public,  the   natives  assembled  in  great  numbers  to  gaze 

at  us.     I,  especially,  on  account  of  my  size,  was  a  favorite 

object  of  their  regprd.     We  received  appropriate  names 

at  once :  Sverdrup  was  called  "  Akortok  "  —  that  is  to  say, 

"he  who  steers  a  s'-ip;'^  while   I  was  honored  with  two 

appellations  —"  Angisorsuak,"  or  "  the  very  big  one,"  and 

"Umitormiut  nalagak,"  which  means  "the  leader  of  the 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB  jy^ 

men  with  the  great  beards,"  under  which  description  the 
Norwegians  are  generally  known. 

It  had  also  come  to  the  knowledge  of  these  good  people 
that  we  had  two  Lapps  in  our  company  -  members  of  a 
race  which  they  had  never  seen.  The  two  "kaiakers" 
who  had  come  back  from  Ameralikfjord  had  minutely  de- 
scribed their  meeting  with  the  strangers.  "  There  were 
two  men,"  they  said,  "  of  the  people  who  commonly  wear 
great  beards,  and  two  who  were  like  us,  but  were  clad  in  a 
wonderful  dress."  They  were  thus  quite  acute  enough  to 
see  that  the  Lapps,  in  spite  of  all  distinctions,  belon^red 
to  a  race  somewhat  on  a  level  with  themselves,  and  were 
widely  different  from  all  Danes  and  Norwegians. 

At  last,  early  on  the  morning  of  Octobtn-  12,  the  two 
Eskimos  who  had  been  sent  into  the  fjord  from  Umanak 
arrived  with  a  note  from  Dietrichson,  saying  that  the 
whole  party  were  now  on  the  way. 

The  entire  colony,  Europeans  as  well  as  natives,  now 
turned  out,  and  awaited  their  arrival  in  great  excitement. 
At  last  we  could   see,  by  a  movement   among  the  "  kai- 
aks,"  which  lay  below  us,  that  the  boats  must^De  in  si.rht 
Presently,  too,  ''  the  whaler"  appeared  from  behind  a  pro- 
jecting point.    The  "  kaiaks  "  simply  swarmed  around  her, 
and  we  soon  caught  sight  of  our  four  companions,  seated 
in  the  stern,  in  front  of  the  steersman,  and  already  waving 
their  caps  in  the  air  by  way  of  salutation.     It  was  a  little 
strange   to  me   to  see  them   sitting  there  as  passengers, 
instead  of  working  at  the  oars. 

The  boat  came  slowly  on,  with  a  long  string  of  "kni- 
aks  tailing  out  behind,  and  soon  put  in  to  shore  under 
the  flagstaff  mound,  where  the  four  strange  bcin-s  from 
the  mterior  landed,  and  were   heartily  welcomed  "by  the 


176 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Europeans  of  the  colony,  as  well  as  by  crowds  of  Eskimos, 
to  whom,  of  course,  they  were  a  source  of  renewed 
wonder  and  admiration.  The  Lapps  came  in  for  marked 
attention.  The  Greenlanders  set  them  down  as  women, 
because  they  wore  long  tunics  something  like  the  cloaks 
of  European  ladies,  as  well  as  trousers  of  reindeer  skin, 
which  particular  garments  are  only  used  by  the  women 
of  the  Eskimos.  Balto  seemed  to  take  the  attention  which 
fell  to  his  share  with  the  greatest  complacency  and  non- 
chalance. He  talked  away,  related  his  experiences,  and 
was  soon  on  an  intimate  footing  with  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  place.  Ravna,  as  usual,  went  his  own  silent  way ; 
he  came  up  to  me,  ducked  his  head,  gave  me  his  hand, 
and,  though  he  said  very  little,  I  could  see  his  small  eyes 
twinkle  with  joy  and  self-satisfaction. 

They  were  all  glad  enough  to  have  reached  their  desti- 
nation, and  the  announcement  that  there  was  a  very  doubt- 
ful prospect  of  their  getting  home  this  year  did  not  seem 
to  have  much  effect  upon  their  good  spirits. 


As  stated  before  in  this  work  (see  page  74),  Nansen  and 
his  companions  had  to  spend  the  winter  at  Godthaab. 
On  April  1 5  the  ship  Hvidbjorncn  arrived,  and  soon  after 
the  home  journey  began  ;  on  May  2 1  Copenhagen  was 
reached,  and  on  May  30  they  entered  Christiania  Fjord, 
where  they  were  received  by  hundreds  of  sailing  boats 
and  a  whole  fleet  of  steamers. 


\m 


CHAPTER   X 


WITH    THE    CURRENT 

In  the  beginning  of  1S90,  Nansen  delivered  a  lecture 

before  the  Norwegian  Geographical  Society,  and  set  forth 

his  plan  for  a  new  Polar  Expedition.    "  I  believe,"  he  said, 

after  giving  a  short  sketch  of  the  history  of  polar  investi' 

gation,  "  that  if  we  study  the  forces  of  nature  itself  which 

are  here  ready  to  hand,  and  try  to  work  with  them  instead 

of  against  them,  we  shall  find  the  surest  and  easiest  way 

of  reaching  the   Pole.     It  is  useless  to  work  against  the 

current,  as  previous  expeditions  have  done  ;  we^  must  see 

if  there  is  not  a  current  that  will  work  with  us.     There 

a-e   strong   reasons   for   supposing   that   such   a  current 

exists." 

Nansen's  plan  was  founded  upon  the  assumption  that 
from  Bering  Strait  and  the  north  coa.t  of  Eastern  Siberia 
a  constant  and  comparatively  strong  sea-current  sets  in 
the  direction  of  the  North  Pole,  whence,  again,  it  turns  to 
the  south  or  southwest,  between  Spitzbergen  and  Green- 
land,  follows  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  and  then  sweeps 
around  Cape  Farewell  into  Davis  Strait. 

Three  years  after  the  sinking  of  the  Jcauneffc.  north  of 
the  New  Siberia  Islands  in  June,  ,88,,  a  number  of  a,-ti- 
c  es^wei-e  found  on  the  drift  ice  off  the  southwest  coast 
of  Greenland,  which  must  undoubtedly  have  belonged  to 
the  lost  ship  — among  them,  for  example,  a  provision  list 
with  the  signature  of  the  captain,  De  Long,  a  list  of  the 
12 


178 


NANSEAT  AV  THE  E/WZEiV  WORLD 


I 


lli:) 
ll'! 


Jcanncttcs  boats,  and  a  j^air  of  oil-skin  trousers  marked 
with   the  name  of  one  of  the  sailors   who   were  rescued. 
The  news  of   this  discovery   upon    the    drifting  ice  floe 
attracted  much  attention,  and  it  was  conjectured,  with   a 
Ijlausibilily  approaching   to  certainty,  that  the  i1oe   must 
have  been   carried  by  the  above-mentioned  current  from 
the  New  Siberia  Islands,  across  or  near  the   Pole,  to  the 
place   where   it   was   found.      It   was   calculated   that    the 
articles  must  have  been  conveyed  at  a  speed  of  about  two 
miles  in   the  twenty-four  hours,  which  c()rresi)()nded  with 
the  rate  at  which  the  JcanucUc  was  borne  along  in  the  ice 
during  the  last  four  months  of  her  existence. 

These  relics    of    the    yeanintfc  are    not,    however,  the 
only  objects  which   have  made   the   long   journey  with  the 
current  from  I<:ast  Siberia  across  the  Pole,  and  'ha\e  been 
swept  southward   along  the  east  coast  of  Cireenland.      ,\ 
so-called  "  throwing  stick,"  used  by  the  i-skimos  for  hurl- 
ing  their   bird-darts,  was    found    by   a    (Ireenlander,  and 
given  to  Dr.  Rink  at  Ciodthaab,  who  aflerwai-ds  presented 
it  to  the  Christiania  University.      It  has  been   sJK.un  that 
this  instrument  is  (|uite  different  in   form   from  that  used 
by  the  C.reenlanders,  but  exactly  resend)les  t!ie  throwing- 
sticks  used  by  the    l^skimos  of  Alaska,  the  northwestc-rn 
extremity  of    North    America,   which   borders  on    iVring 
Strait;  so  that  it  too,  in  all  probability,  had  traxerscd  the 
Polar  Sea. 

The  drift  wood  which  is  washed  ashore  in  (ireenland 
in  such  large  (|uantities.  and  is  so  indispensable  to  the 
Eskimos  in  the  absence  of  timber  trees,  has  been  shown 
to  consist  for  the  most  i)art  of  !"mber  native  to  Siberia, 
so  that  it  too  must  ha\e  been  carried  by  the  same  current 
across  the  very  precincts  of  the  Pole. 


WITH  THE   CURRENT 


179 


w  '^  mm 


r  I 


NANHKN    IN 


iSqj 


In  the  course  of  his  wanderings  along  the  shores  of 
Denmark  Strait,  Nansen  found  on  the  drift  ice  lar^re 
quantities  of  mud.  Of  this  he  collected  a  number  of 
specmiens,  which  were  examined  by  Professor  P.  Cleve 
of  Upsala,  and  i\.  ]<:.  Tr.rnebohm,  of  Stockholm,  and 
proved  to  consist  of  varieties  of  soil  characteristic  of  Si- 
beria. Thus  the  probability  is  that  this  mud,  too,  had 
made  the  long  jDolar  voyage. 

These  facts  of  themselves  sufficiently  prove  that  there 


f :    \: 


i8o 


m 


<.s 


m 


{t .  i 


J\rAJVS£JV  m  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


must  be  a  practicable  connection  between  the  sea  to  the 
north  of  Asia  and  the  sea  on  the  east  of  Greenland - 
not,  perhaps,  an  open  water-way,  which  one  could  scarcely 
expect  to  find,  but  a  practicable  route  in  the  sense  thai 
the  current  carries  the  ice  floes  (now  frozen  together,  now 
piled  one  on  the  top  of  the  other,  and  then  again  broken 
up  and  scattered),  across  the  distance  indicated,  with  con- 
siderable regularity  and  in  an  ascertainable  ,pace  of  time 
I^rom   these  premises,  then,  Nansen  drew  what  we  may' 
fairly  call  the  inevitable  conclusion  that  if  an  ice  floe  with 
what  happens  to  be  upon  it  can  thus  make  its  way  across 
he  po  ar  .-u-ea  in  a  given  time,  it  must  be  no  less  possible 
tor  a  ship,  fixed  among  the  ice  floes  in  the  course  of  the 
current,  to  comj^lete  the  same  passage  in  the  same  time 

His  plan  was  to  make  his  way,  with  a  small  but  strondy 
built  vessel,  to   the  New    Siberia  Islands,  and    there   or 
thereabouts  await  the  most  opportune  moment  for  mak- 
ing the  furthest  possible  advance  in  ice-free  water      He 
thought  It  probable  that  he  could  get  well  past  the  Islands 
"  When  once  we  have  come  so  far,  we  shall  be  right  in 
the  current  in  xvhich    the  ycannette  was  caught      Then 
the  thing   will   be    to  press  on    northward  with   all   our 
might  until  we  stick  fast.     We  must  now  choose  a  favora- 
ble place,  moor  the  ship   firmly  between   convenient  ice 
floes,  and  then  let  the  ice  screw  itself  together  around  her 
as  much  as  it  pleases  — the  more  the  better.     The  shin 
will  s.mply  be  lifted  out  of  the  water  into  a  firm  and  se- 
cure ice  berth."     Henceforth  -  so  the  project  continues 
-the  current  takes  up  the  work  of  i)ro]3ulsion  ;  the  ship 
IS  no  longer  a  means  of  transport  but  a  barrack      The 
current  sweeps  it  past  the  Pole  and  onward  into  the  sea 
between  Greenland  and  Spitsbergen.     At  the  8oth  deo-ree 


WITH  THE   CURRENT 


i8i 


of  latitude,  or  possibly  before  that  if  it  be  summer,  it  will 
probably  find  open  water  and  be  able  to  sail  home.  But 
if  it  should  be  crushed  by  the  pressure  of  the  ice  ?  Then 
the  equipment  and  provisions  will  be  moved  to  a  strono- 


NANSKN    ON    TIIK    ICK    (SI'MMFK    DRKSS) 
(From  an  instaiitaiieom (iltoti\i;r<i/'li) 

ice  floe,  where  the  tents  will  be  pitched,  warm  tents  of 
double  sail-cloth  with  an  intermediate  layer  of  reindeer- 
hair.  One  can  get  far  upon  an  ice  floe.  The  crew  of 
the  Hansa  drifted  from  Smith  Sound  right  down  to  Davis 
Strait.  But  if  the  ice  floe  should  break  ?  Even  that  will 
not  be  fatal,  for  the  stores  will  be  distributed  over  the  ice 
and  placed  uj^on  wooden  rafts.     Then,  having  in  this  way 


^^  m:^^ 


^^^To5^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
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NANSEN  m  rirE  I-KOZEN  WOKLD 


arnved  in  the  Greenland  .ea  and  fonnd  open  water,  the 
expedition  will  take  to  its  boats.  Jt  is  not  the  first  time 
Norwegian  seamen  have  traversed  the  Arctic  Sea  in  open 
boats,  ,f  yonr  boats  are  good,  it  is  not  at  all  impossible  to 
get  on  amid  the  ice. 

And  it  is  no  unreasonable  calculation  that  all  this  may 
take  no  more  than  two  years.     Five  years'  provisions,  at 
any  rate,  will  be  amply  sufficient.     With  the  food-stuffs 
now  available,  there    is    no   fear   of   scurvy.     Besides,   a 
certain  amount  of  fresh  meat  may  probably  be  counted 
on;  seals  and  polar  bears  are  to  be  found  very  far  north 
and   the  sea   no  doubt  contains  plenty  of  small  animals 
which  may  be  eaten  at  a  pinch.     But  suppose,  now,  that 
the  Jeannctic  current  does  not  pass  ri.o-ht  across  the  Pole 
but,  say,  between  the  Pole  and  I-^ranz  Josef  Land  ?     That 
matters  very  little.     "  U^e  do  not  set  forth  to  see!:  for  the 
madiemat.cal  point  which  forms  the  northern  end  of  the 
earth  sa.x.s;  to  reach   this  particular  .spot  is  not.  in   itself 
a  matter  of  the  f^rst  moment.     Wiiat  we  want  to  do  is  to 
investigate  the  oreat  unknown  regions  of  the  earth  which 
surround  the  Pole;  and  our  investigations  will  have  prac- 
tically the    same  scientific   value  whether  we    reach    the 
actual    Pole   itself,   or  pass  at    some  distance  from   it- 
cunous  though    it  wo.  a   be.  no  doubt,  tc     land  on  the 
very  Pole  and  be  turned  around  uith  the  earth  on  one's 
own  axis,  or  see  the  ...scillations  of  the  pendulum  describe 
an  angle  of  exactly  fifteen  degrees  in  the  hour." 

Nansen  finally  dwells  upon  the  scientific  significance  of 
polar  exploration -its  important  bearing  upon  the  prob- 
lems of  geography,  terrestrial  magnetism,  atmospheric 
electricity,  the  Aurora  liorealis.  the  solar  spectrum,  dawn 
and  twihght.  the  physical  geography  of  the  sea.  meteor- 


ii'{ 


WITH  THE   CURRENT 


>«3 


ology,  zoology  and  botany,  palaeontology  and  ^^eology. 
"  We  Norwegians,"  so  he  ends  his  lecture,  "  have  before 
now  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  exjjloration  of  the 
Arctic  area;  our  gallant  Tromso  and  Hammerfest  men 
in  particular  have  done  excellent  service  in  this  respect. 


NANSKN   0\   THK    \VV.    (WINTKR    ORKSs) 
{From  iiu  insl,itit,iiii;iiis  /•li,itoi^t;t/'li\ 

Hut  as  yet  no  Norwcj>ian  crew  has  set  forth  straight  for 
the  Pole  in  a  Norwegian  craft. 

"  'IMie  polar  area  must  and  shall  be  investigated 
throughout  its  whole  extent.  There  has  hitherto  been  a 
noble  rivalry  between  the  nations  as  to  which  should  first 
achieve  the  goal ;  and  one  day  it  will  be  achieved. 


!?  f-ii:;  :f 


'I 


,^'1 


h    ^ 


II  if 


wmTi 


184  jv^jvsbat  in  the  frozen  world 

"  May  it  be  Norway's  fortune  to  lead  the  way  I  May  it 
be  the  Norwegian  flag  that  first  floats  over  the  Pole  I  " 

In  November,  1892,  Nansen  expounded  the  same  plan 
before  another  geographical  society,  not  a  young  body 
l|ke  ours,  but  old  and  world-renowned  above  all  others -- 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society  in  London 

There  was  a  brilliant  gathering,  including  almost  all 
the  Englishmen  who  have  distinguished  themselves  in 
Arctic  exploration,  and  they  are  not  a  few.  Before  this 
society,  the  first  to  which  Nansen,  on  his  return  from 
Greenland  (1S89),  had  set  forth  the  results  of  his  expedi- 
tion -  before  this  society,  which  h.d  done  more  than  any 
other  for  the  advancement  of  Arctic  research  ~  before  in 
short,  the  most  competent  body  of  Arctic  specialists'  in 
the  world  -  he  had  now  both  to  explain  and  to  defend 
the  basis  and  the  details  of  his  plan. 

There  they  sat   before  his   eyes,  all   those   celebrated 
explorers   whose   names   were   already   inscribed    in    the 
history  of    Arctic   research  -  those   grizzled    and   white- 
haired  pioneers  of  the  ]3olar  world,  the  heroes  of  so  many 
an   achievement    before    Nansen    was    born.     There    sat 
Admiral  Sir  George  Nares  himself,  the  celebrated  chief 
of   the    Alert  and    Discovery   expedition,    during    which 
Commodore  Markham  had,  on  May  12,  1876,  reached  the 
latitude  of  d.^''  20',  a  record  which  only  Lockwood  had 
since  beaten.      There  sat  Admiral  Sir  Leopold  McClin- 
tock,  leader  of  the  Fox  expedition  (1857-58),  by  which 
Franklin's  fate  had  been  finally  ascertained.     There,  too 
was  Admiral  Sir  L.  Ingleficld,  who  in  1852  brought  Kane' 
Basin  within  the  sphere  of  geographical  knowledge.    And 
there,  among  the  rest,  was  the  famous  Arctic  traveller, 
Sir  Allen  Young,  who.  so  long  ago  as  1857,  had  accom- 


WITH  THE   CURRENT 


i8S 


panied  McClintock,  and  in  1875  had  taken  the  Pandora 
right  up  into  Smith  Sound  to  bring  tidings  of  the  Nares 
expedition  ~  the  same  Pandora  which,  under  the  name 
of  the  Jeamiette,  carried  the  hapless  De  Long  to  his  fate. 

A  whole  host  of  other  famous  polar  travellers  were 
present  —  Admiral  Ommanney,  Dr.  Rae,  Captain  Wig- 
gins, the  well-known  Yenisei  trader,  Captain  Wharton,  etc. 

It  was  to  this  illustrious  gathering  that  Nansen  was  to 
expound  his  scheme.  His  lecture  was,  as  usual,  clear, 
sober,  attractive  in  its  form,  and  plausible  in  its  matter. 
But  he  here  stood  face  to  face  with  a  concentrated  mass 
of  experience,  all  tending  to  prove  the  insuperable  difficul- 
ties of  polar  travel,  which  could  not  instantly  make  way 
for  a  new  idea.  Practically  all  of  these  famous  pioneers 
of  Arctic  research,  one  after  another,  commented  unfavor- 
ably upon  the  scheme. 

Old  Admiral  Sir  Leopold  McClintock  opened  the  dis- 
cussion as  soon  as  the  lecture  was  over.  1  le  began  his 
speech  thus :  "  I  think  I  may  say  this  is  the  most  adven- 
turous programme  ever  brought  under  the  notice  of  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society.  We  have  here  a  true  V'k- 
ing,  a  descendant  of  those  hardy  Norsemen  who  used 
to  pay  this  country  such  frequent  and  such  unwelcome 
visits."  But  he  could  not  venture  to  express  any  great 
confidence  in  the  scheme  put  forward,  even  supposing 
Dr.  Nansen  succeeded  in  getting  into  the  alleged  polar 
current.  Sir  Leopold  feared  the  force  of  the  ice-pressure, 
and  did  not  believe  that  it  would  force  the  ship  up  on 
the  ice. 

The  next  speaker,  too.  Admiral  Nares,  expressed  strong 
doubts  as  to  the  plan.  \  le  i)articularly  doubted  whether 
the  Fram  would  succeed   in  finding  any  polar  current, 


f  ■ 


i86  JVANSEM  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

and  dwelt   upon  the  dangers  of  a  drift  voyage  such  as 
Nansen  projected. 

Admiral  Inglefield  expressed  himself  more  favorably 
but  Sir  Allen  Young  again  emphasized  the  dangers  and 
difficulties,  thought  that  land  and  shallow  water  would  be 
found  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Pole,  and  very  much 
doubted  whether  the  ship  would  be  forced  up  on  the  ice 
His  opinion  was  that  it  would  be  wisest  to  strike  for  the 
north  from  a  point  well  to  the  westward  of  the  New 
Siberia  Islands. 

Captain  Wiggins,  too,  was  opposed  to  making  the  New 
Siberia  Islands  the  starting-point,  "  as  they  are  the  most 
treacherous,  low,  sandy,  muddy,  horrible  places."  But  on 
tne  whole,  he  approved  of  Nansen's  plan,  and  ended  by 
wishing  him  a  hearty  God-speed. 

Captain  Wharton,  a  well-known  authority  on  these 
questions,  gaN^e  him  warm  encouragement  as  to  his  theory 
of  the  current.  He  thus  ended  his  speech  :  "  People 
sometimes  ask:  What  is  the  use  of  Arctic  exploration  ? 
Amongst  other  things  I  think  it  may  be  said  that  its  use 
is  to  foster  enterprise  and  bring  gallant  men  to  the  front. 
To-night  we  have  an  excellent  example  of  that  in  Dr. 
Nansen.     I  can  only  say  to  him,  God-sjieed  !  " 

Manuscript  communications  from  y\dmiral  Sir  George 
Richards  and  the  celebrated  Sir  Joseph  I).  Hooker  werc 
also  read,  both  sceptical  and  full  of  warnings.  Sir  Joseph 
Hooker  thus  ended  his  remarks:  M  may  conclude  with 
expressing  the  hope  that  Dr.  Nansen  may  dispose  of  his 
admirable  courage,  skill,  and  resources  in  the  prosecution 
of  some  less  perilous  attempts  than  to  solve  the  mystery 
of  the  Arctic  area." 

It  was  not  until  late  in  the  evening  that  Nansen  him- 


11:1 


WITH  THE   CURRENT 


187 


self  was  at  last  called  upon  for  a  short  reply  to  all  these 
doubts  and  anxious  warnings.  His  answer  is  as  like  him 
as  it  could  be.  Though  plainly  willing  enough  to  take 
advice  as  to  details,  he  is  in  the  main  unshaken  in  his 
conviction  of  the  practicability  of  his  scheme.  And  while 
he  answers,  point  by  point,  the  objections  to  it,  he  gathers 
new  arguments  from  these  objections  themselves.  Refer- 
ring to  Admiral  Nares's  remark,  that  an  Arctic  expedition 
ought  always  to  have  a  secure  line  of  retreat,  he  answers : 
"  I  am  of  the  opposite  opinion.  My  Greenland  expedi- 
tion proved  the  possibility  of  carrying  out  such  an  enter- 
prise without  any  line  of  retreat,  for  in  that  case  we  burnt 
our  ships,  and  nevertheless  made  our  way  across  Green- 
land. I  trust  we  shall  have  the  like  good  fortune  this 
time,  even  if  we  break  the  bridges  behind  us." 

It  is,  as  Sir  Leopold  McClintock  said,  the  old  Viking 
blood  that  speaks  in  these  words. 

For  it  is  true,  as  that  famous  explorer  hinted  at  the 
beginning  of  his  speech,  that  there  is  a  touch  of  romance 
in  Nansen's  scheme.  It  is  constructed,  indeed,  upon  a 
scientific  basis ;  but  no  one  who  was  exclusively  a  man 
of  science,  or  exclusively  a  sportsman,  would  have  had  the 
foresight  to  conceive  such  a  plan,  or  the  courage  to  exe- 
cute it.  A  creative  and  daring  imagination  is  its  deter- 
mining element. 


I 


f-i! 


If  i- 


M 


CHAPTER  XI 

NANSEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 

Immediately  after  his  return  from  Greenland,  Nansen 
was  offered  the  post  of  Curator  of  the  Zootomic  Museum 
of  Christiania  University,  and  accepted  the  offer.  Be- 
sides the  duties  of  this  position,  an  immense  Quantity  of 
work  fills  up  the  interval  between  the  Greenland  and  the 
North  Pole  expeditions ;  he  writes  the  story  of  what  he 
has  done,  and  he  makes  the  preparations  for  what  he  has 
yet  to  do.  And  to  all  this  we  must  add  his  lecturing 
tours  to  different  parts  of  Europe. 

In  1889  he  married  a  daughter  of  the  late  Professor  M 
Sars,  like  his  well-known  son.  Professor  Q.  Sars,  an  emi- 
nent naturalist.  Fru  Nansen  is  probably  the  most  skilful 
lady  skirunner  in  Norway,  besides  having  attained  great 
celebrity  as  a  concert  singer. 

A  honeymoon  was  out  of  the  question.  The  day  after 
the  marriage,  the  happy  couple  started  by  way  of  Gothen- 
burg, Copenhagen,  Flushing,  and  London,  for  Newcastle, 
the  scene  of  a  geographical  congress  which  lasted  a  week' 
\\hile  the  ne^v-made  wife  wondered  in  her  secret  soul  that 
her  husband  should  thus  prefcM-  "  geography "  to  "love." 
Thence  back  to  London.  In  the  great  city,  they  let  the 
world,  with  its  discovered  and  undiscovered  countries, 
look  after  itself,  and  gave  themselves  up,  in  the  solitude 
of  that  densely  peopled  wilderness,  to  the  rapture  of  ex- 
istence.    Then  they  passed  six  glorious  days  in  Paris.     In 


ansen 
iseum 
Be- 
ity  of 
d  the 
at  he 
e  has 
Liring 

)r  M. 

emi- 

kilful 

^reat 

after 
:hen- 
istle, 
r'oek, 
that 
Dve." 
:  the 
:nes, 
tude 

cx- 

In 


:''^.  infills 


F.VA   NANSF.N 
(From  a  photograph) 


\ 


'  f  : 


If       I 


190 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


October  they  were  home  again  ,  but  the  sixteenth  of  the 
month  found  them  once  more  on  the  move,  this  time  for 
Stockhohn,  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Swedish  Anthro- 
pological and   (ieograph.ical   Society.     This  society  had, 
in  January,   1889,  determined   to  confer  its   Vega  medal 
upon  FriiUjof  Nansen,  and  it  was  now  handed  to  'im  by 
the  King.     Only  five  people  had  received   it  —  Norden- 
skjcid,  Palander,  Stanley,  Przewalski,  and  Junker.     The 
spokesman  of  the  society,   Professor  Gustaf  Ret/Jus,  said 
in  the  course  of  his  speech:  "  Dr.  Nansen  has  had  for- 
tune on  his  side  in  his  first  enterprise.     Let  us  hope  that 
this  victory  may  not  prove  his  Narva,  leading  him  to  un- 
derrate difficulties,  and  thus  luring  him  on  to  a  Pultowa. 
May  it  be  only  the  first  of  a  series  of  triumphs  !  "     The 
speaker  knew,  he  said,  that  Dr.  Nansen  was   in   no  way 
puffed  up  by  his  achievement,  but  precisely  the  same  as 
he  had  been  two  years  ago  when  he  came  to  Stockholm 
to  consult    Professor    Nordenskjold    as    to  1-s  projected 


f  his  exploit, 
not  only 
^he  field 
place  in 

It  IS  in  the 


journey.     But  Nansen  might  well  b 

the  speaker  continued,  because  it  wa 

to  himself,  but  also  to  his  country.     . 

of  battle  that  small  nations  can  vindi^ 

the  world,  and  secure  their  independence 
domain  of  culture,  of  civilization,  of  science  and  art  —  a 
domain  which  lies  open  to  all  —  that  they  must  press 
forward  into  the  front  rank  and  strive  for  the  palm  of 
victory.  Here  it  is  that  they  must  seek  for  their  true 
distinction,  and  earn  the  respect  of  the  great  nations. 

As  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  the  Vega  medal  was  the  first 
distinction  of  its  kind  conferred  upon  Nansen.  Seven 
years  ago,  as  an  unknown  seal-hunter  in  the  Polar  Sea,  he 
had  looked  with  reverence  upon  the  gal k.  it  craft  which 


'^%ii-  ■' 


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DR.  NANSEN 


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192 


JVAATSEJV  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


had  borne  Nordenskjold  around  Asia.  Now  he  hi.nself 
held  a  place  of  honor  by  the  side  of  that  renowned  travel- 
ler, and  received  the  medal  xvhich  bore  the  name  of  his 
ship  and  was.  according  to  custom,  presented  on  the  day 
when  the  Vega  reached  Stockholm  after  her  northeast 
passage. 

The  Vega  medal  was  far  from  being  the  only  mark  of 
distmction  c-nferred  upon  him.     In  the  course  of  these 
years  Nansen  became  a  member  of  a  host  of  geograph- 
ical and  other  learned  societies,  and  received  several  gold 
medals   and   other   decorations.     We   may   mention    th^ 
Karl  Ritter  medal,  >iid  the  Victoria  medal  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society,  conferred  upon  him  in  thr  ^^ gin- 
ning of  1891.     This  celebrated  body  states  as  fol^ows^its 
reasons   for   selecting    him   for   this   distinction:     "The 
patrons  of  the  Victoria  medal,  to   Dr.  Fridtjof  Nansen, 
for  having  been  the  first  to  cross  the  inland  ice  of  Green- 
land, a  perilous  and  daring  achievement,  entailing  a  jour- 
ney of  more  than  three  months,  thirty-seven  days  of  which 
were  passed  at  great  elevations,  and  hi  the  climate  of  an 
Arctic  winter;  obliging  him  to  lead  a  forlorn  hope  with 
the  knowledge  thaf  there  could  be  no  retreat,  and  that 
failure  must  involve   the  destruction   of  himself  and   his 
companions ;   and  calling  forth  the  highest  qualities  of  an 
oplorer.     For  having  taken  a  series  of  astronomical  and 
meteorological    observations  under  circumstances  of   ex- 
treme   difficulty   and    privation,    during    a   march    which 
required  exceptional  powers  of  strength   and  endurance, 
and   mental    faculties   of   a   high   order,   as  well   as    the 
qualities   of    a   scientific    geographer,   for   its    successful 
accomplishment.     And  for  his  discovery  of  the  physical 
character  of  the  interior  of  Greenland,  as  well  as  for  other 
valuable  scientific  results  of  his  expedition." 


NANS  EN  AT  HOME  ANi:    ABA  ^  AD  193 

A  distinguished  friend  in  Copenhagen,  writing  to  con- 
gratulate Nansen  on  receiving  the  Victoria  medal,  ends 
his  letter  thus :  "  If  you  sh6uld  hereafter  become  '  Com- 
mander '  or  '  Grand  Cross '  of  any  order  whatsoever,  you 
must  e:  :use  me  if  I  do  not  congratulate  you.  Crowds  of 
people  have  the  right  to  wear  a  ribbon ;  but  die  Victoria 
medal  is  held  by  very  few,  and  it 's  a  devilish  select  com- 
pany it  brings  you  into." 

The  Grand  Cross  is  presumably  in  reserve  for  his 
return  from  ;.he  Polar  Seas.  Hitherto  Nansen  has 
received  the  Knights'  Cross  of  the  St.  Olaf  Order  (May 
25,  1889)  and  of  the  Order  of  the  Dannebrog.  It  can 
scarcely  be  indiscreet  to  add,  that  it  pained  him  greatly 
to  be  the  sole  recipient  of  these  distinctions.  He  felt 
strongly  that  hi  ■  comrades  who  had  risked  their  lives  with 
him,  and  shared  with  him  his  toils  and  dangers,  oudit 
also  to  share  with  him  the  public  recognition  of  their 
exploit.  It  was  certainly  no  fault  of  his  that  he  was  the 
only  membe-  of  the  expedition  who  received  the  cross  of 
St.  Olaf. 

Even  before  he  returned  from  Greenland  he  had  been 
elected  a  member  of  the  Christiania  Scientific  Society. 
A  whole  host  of  evidences  of  the  appreciation  of  his 
achievement  in  scientific  circles  streamed  in  upon  him 
after  bis  return,  in  the  form  of  letters  from  the  leading 
authorities  on  Arctic  exploration.  We  shall  here  quote 
only  a  single  expression  from  a  letter  addressed  to  him 
by  the  celebrated  Arctic  traveller,  Sir  Clements  Mark- 
ham,  dated  March  11,  189 1.  He  says  of  the  Greenland 
exTDedition :  "  For  my  part  I  regard  it  as  being,  from  the 
geographical  point  of  view,  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
achievements  of  our  time,  remarkable  alike  for  intrepidity 
and  for  the  importance  of  its  scientific  results." 
«3 


Vl 


194 


JVA.VSJSJV  IN  THE   FROZEN   WORLD 


II 


On  June  24,  1891,  Nansen  was  appointed  Correspond- 
ing Member  of  the  Institute  of  France,  in  succession  to 
Nordenskjold,  who  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Foreign 
Associate. 

When  he  and  his  wife  returned  from  Stockholm  they 
lodged  for  two  months  with  Martha  Larsen,  formerly 
housekeeper  at  Great  Froen,  whom  we  have  already  had 
occasion  to  mention  more  than  once.  Her  house,  which 
revived  all  the  memories  of  his  childhood,  was  like  a 
haven  of  rest  where  he  could  take  refuge,  at  any  time. 
He  had  lived  with  her  during  the  "  hard  spring,"  when  he 
had  to  struggle  both  with  his  doctoral  thesis  and  with 
his  preparations  for  the  Greenland  expedition.  Here  he 
would  seek  rest  and  refreshment  of  an  evening  in  chatting 
over  the  old  days  at  Froen. 

"  Do  you  remember,  Martha,"  he  would  say  all  of  a 
sudden,  "  that  time  when  I  came  to  you  streaming  with 
blood  from  a  cut  in  the  leg.? " 

"  Indeed  I  do  —  you  had  fallen  on  some  broken  glass." 

"  No —  I  can  tell  you  tiie  truth  now,  Martha.  You  see 
we  had  got  new  sheath-knives,  both  Alexander  and  I; 
and  as  I  was  slashing  the  heads  off  thistles  with  my  new 
knife,  I  ran  it  into  my  leg.  But  of  course  I  could  n't  tell 
you  that." 

"  It  wasn't  like  you  to  tell  me  a  lie,"  r.ays  Martha,  with 
mild  reproach. 

"No,  but  there's  a  limit  to  everything,  Martha;  and  I 
could  n't  have  the  new  sheath-knife  taken  from  me." 

It  has  been  the  lot  of  Martha  Larsen  to  sweeten  the 
year-long  toils  of  the  i)o1ar  exj^lorers.  Not  that  she,  per- 
sonally, took  part  in  the  expedition  ;  but  she  was  the  self- 
appointed  purveyor  of  jams  and  jellies  to  the  Fram.     In 


NANSEA'  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


195 


t 


the  course  of  his  voyage  northward,  when  Nansen  was 
sending  his  farewell  greetings  in  letters  to  all  who  stood 
very  near  to  him,  or  had  played  an  important  part  in  his 
life,  he  did  not  forget  his  faithful  old  friend.  From  Kha- 
barova,  Yugor  Strait,  he  writes  to  her  on  August  3,  1893: 
"As  I  am  on  the  point  of  leaving  this  last  place  from 
which  letters  can  be  despatched,  I  must  send  you  a  part- 
ing greeting,  and  thank  you  for  all  your  friendship  and 
goodness  to  me."  Her  friendship  he  describes  as  untir- 
ing, and  says  that  she  is  always  finding  opportunities  to 
be  of  service  to  him  and  to  his  wife.  We  need  not  apol- 
ogize for  referring  to  this  simple  little  letter.  It  is  not 
every  celebrated  man  whose  mem.ory  is  so  alert  at  the 
critical  moments  of  his  life. 

From  Martha  Larsen's  the  newly-married  couple  re- 
moved to  the  Drammen  Road,  where  they  set  up  house. 
But  there  was  too  little  sun  here,  and  too  much  town,  too 
much  civilization.  They  determined  to  build  for  them- 
selves, and  bought  a  site  at  Svartebugta  (the  Black  Bay), 
where  Nansen,  as  a  boy,  had  often  lain  in  ambush  for 
wild  duck.  While  their  building  operations  were  in  pro- 
gress, they  lived  in  a  pavilion  close  to  Lysaker  railway 
station — a  pavilion  which  has  since  been  transformed  by 
the  painter,  Otto  Sinding,  into  a  comfortable  house  with 
a  splendid  studio.  But  up  to  this  time  it  had  never  been 
inhabited.  The  floor  was  close  to  the  ground,  and  it  was 
very  cold;  the  water  in  the  pitchers  froze  hard  every 
night.  "  That  winter,"  says  Mrs.  Nansen,  "  cured  me  of 
the  habit  of  feeling  cold."  In  this  dog-hutch  and  in  this 
biting  cold,  Nansen  set  himself  down  to  his  book  upon 
Greenland  —  he  had  no  difficulty  in  recalling  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  inland  ice. 


196 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


V 


t 

i  -^ 
•  I 

f 


III 


If  he  took  an  hour's  hoHday  and  became  a  human 
being  again,  he  repented  of  it  afterward.  But  he  was  for- 
ever going  over  to  watch  the  progress  of  the  new  house, 
in  the  details  and  arrangements  of  which  he  took  a  keen 
interest.  The  "  high  seat,"  and  the  bed,  in  the  old  Nor- 
wegian style,  were  executed  from  his  own  design'-  by 
Borgersen,  afterward  so  well  known  as  a  wood-carver. 
The  house,  which  was  built  by  Mrs.  Nansen's  cousin. 
Architect  Welhaven,  was  finished  in  March  1S90  but 
they  had  moved  into  it  long  before  that.  It  was  Bjorn- 
stjerne  Bjornson  who  gave  it  its  name.  He  rose  from 
the  "  high  seat,"  champagne-glass  in  hand,  and  said  : 
"  Godtkaab  slcal  det  hede  !  "  ("  It  shall  be  called  Good 
Hope  !  ") 

Godthaab  lies  in  the  bight  formed  by  a  little  projecting 
ness,  sheltered  and  secluded,  and  quite  alone.  In  front  of 
the  house  is  a  wooded  and  grassy  sIojdc,  leading  down  to 
the  shore,  whence  the  fjord  stretches  wide  and  open  right 
to  Nesodland.  Here  Nansen  had  his  foot  on  his  own 
ground,  and  could  keep  his  own  boat  for  sailing  on  the 
fjord. 

But  in  the  autumn  he  set  off  on  a  long  lecturincr  tour, 
accomjjanied  by  his  wife.  He  spoke  in  Copenhagen, 
London,  Berlin,  Dresden,  Leipzig,  Munich,  and  Ham- 
burg. We  have  received  from  one  of  tiie  most  eminent 
geofi;raphers  in  lun-ojic,  Baron  Ferdinand  von  Richthofen, 
a  very  valuable  statement  of  the  impression  which  Nan- 
sen  at  this  time  left  behind  him  in  scientific  circles.  We 
quote  from  a  letter  dated  May  17,  1.S96:  — 

"  As  I  have  been  confined  to  my  room  for  several 
weeks,  and  am  not  yet  permitted  to  do  more  than  the 
most  imperative  work,  I  unfortunately  cannot  give  myself 


► 


i 


. 


NANSEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


197 


^■•-..5«1^^., 


NANSEN'S  HOME 


the  pleasure  of  entering  upon  a  detailed  account  of  Dr. 
Nansen's  visit  to  Berlin.  I  hope,  therefore,  that  you  will 
accept  in  its  stead  the  following  brief  notes. 

"  Fridtjof  Nanscn  was  here  in  November,  1890,  two 
years  after  his  memorable  crossing  of  Greenland,  and  a 
year  and  a  half  after  his  return  to  Norway.  As  he 
wanted  to  complete  his  book  describing  the  expedition, 
he  had  hitherto  been  unable  to  accept  any  of  the  rejjeated 
invitations  he  had  received  to  visit  Berlin.  On  Novem- 
ber 8  he  lectured  before  a  meeting  of  the  Geographical 
Society.  He  was  warmly  received,  for  we  had  all  fol- 
lowed his  daring  journey  with  interest.  The  peculiar 
magic  of  his  personality,  which  never  fails  to  affect  those 


i 


lii 


198 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


li 


■  i  :  1    ■ 


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i!    ,j 

I 

J 


l.  ( 


who  stand  face  to  face  with  him,  was  strongly  felt  during 
the  delivery  of  this  lecture.  He  took  us  all  captive  by 
the  magnetism  of  his  immovable  will.  We  saw  in  him  a 
strong  man  marching  toward  a  clearly  realized  goal  and 
clinging  with  tenacious  energy  to  a  well-weighed  and 
carefully  projected  plan.  We  were  strongly  impressed 
with  this  feeling,  even  as  lie  told  of  his  crossing  of  Green- 
land,   and  how  he  had  'burnt    his  shiixs '  before  settin^^ 

r  1  ^  O 

forth  on  what  was  then    regarded  as  a  foolhardy  act  of 
daring.     And  it  was  with  growing   enthusiasm  that  tlie 
meeting  hung  upon  his  words  as  he  went  on  to  sketch 
in  outline  his  great  new  scheme  for  reaching  the  North 
Pole.     Man)-  were    of   opinion    that    the    enterprise    was 
altogether  too  hazardous,  and  were  doubtful  of  the  jirem- 
iscs  on  which  he  based  his  belief  in  its  possibility.     But 
not  one  among  his  hcaicrs  doubted  that  if  the  thino-  ^-as 
within  the  range  of  hun\an  possibility,  Nansen  was  the 
one  man    predestir.ed   to  carry  it   out.     On   lookino-  into 
the  reasons  for  the  brilliant  success  of  his  first  undertak- 
ing, one    could    not    but    recognize   that  they  lay   in    the 
care  with  which  every  detail  of  the  ])lan  was  thought  out. 
the  sedulous    forestalling  of    every  possible  contingencv, 
the  physical   training  which  enabled  him   to  cope  with  all 
physical    difficulties,  the   talent   f<;r   making   the   most   of 
mechanical  aids  to  locomotion,  and  finally,  the  indomita- 
ble strengtii  of  will.     AUhough,  no  doubt,  this  new  pro- 
ject far    sur|)assed    the    former  enterj)rise    in    magnitude 
and  daring,    vet    all   the  precautions  necessarv  to  secure 
a  fortunate  result   seemed  to  have  been   concei\-ed  on  a 
proportionally  larger  scale. 

"  Such,  my  honored   friend,  is   the  impression   Nansen 
left  behind  him.     No  one  who  was  present  can  ever  for- 


i 


irins: 


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and 


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200 


HANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


get  the  picture  of  the  handsome,  well-knit  young  man 
who  so  modestly  told  the  story  of  an  accomplished  feat, 
and  sketched  in  such  simple  words  the  outlines  of  a  still 
more  daring  enterprise.  Every  one  felt  fully  assured  that 
whatever  determination,  strength,  and  intelligence  can  do 
to  vanquish  the  hostile  forces  of  Arctic  nature  misht  be 
confidently  expected  of  Fridtjof  Nansen.  And  although 
we  cannot  quite  rid  ourselves  of  the  idea  that  the  assump- 
tions on  which  the  scheme  is  founded  are  not  as  yet  fully 
established,  yet  we  are  convinced  that  Nansen's  clear 
insight  will  realize  the  actual  conditions  when  he  comes 
face  to  face  with  them,  and  that  he  will  wisely  confine 
himself  to  attempting  what  is  physically  possible,  instead 
of  clinging  with  stolid  obstinacy  to  the  plan  once  laid 
down.  In  this  confidence,  we  look  forward  to  seeino- 
your  gallant  young  countryman  return  with  a  rich  harvest 
of  scientific  results,  followed  as  he  is  by  the  warm  sympa- 
thy of  the  whole  civilized  world. 

"  One  thing  I  must  add  to  my  account  of  the  impres- 
sion produced  by  Nansen.  I  must  note  the  happy  com- 
bination in  him  of  a  remarkable  spirit  of  enterprise  with  a 
strong  scientific  sense.  These  two  qualities  are  not  often 
found  together.  Especially  in  our  age  of  athletics,  it  may 
almost  be  said  to  be  the  rule  that  the  most  daring  exploits 
—  for  example,  in  mountain  climbing  —  are  carried  out 
purely  fir  their  own  sake  and  to  satisfy  a  mere  love  of 
adventure.  So  much  the  more  heartily  should  we  ap- 
plaud the  man  who  is  impelled  by  higher  motives  to  the 
conquest  of  the  greatest  physical  difficulties.  Nansen's 
lecture  left  no  doubt  of  his  keen  interest  in,  and  thor- 
ough understanding  of,  the  problems  connected  with 
Arctic  research.     He  took  especial  pains  to  acquire  and 


I 


ill 


\  t 


NANSEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


201 


a 


communicate  a  scientific  insight  into  the  physical  con- 
formation and  conditions  of  Greenland;  and  he  has  clearly 
a  no  less  enlightened  sense  of  the  scientific  significance 
of  polar  exploration." 

What  especially  occupied  him  in  these  years  was  the 
preparations  for  the  Polar  Expedition.     The  equipment 
mvolved  an  immense  expenditure  of  thought  —  from  the 
construction  of  the  ship  to  the  minutest  detail  of  the  com- 
missariat.    Even   the    selection   of   the   crew  must  have 
meant  a  great  deal  of  correspondence  —  no  fewer  than 
150  foreigners  applied  for  leave  to  join   the  expedition. 
The  list  is  headed  by  Englishmen   and  Americans,  then 
come  Germans,  Danes,  Swedes  and  Finns,  Italians  and 
Frenchmen,  etc.     The  labor  was  enormous.     Everything 
had  to  pass  through  hie  head,  every  one  of  the  thousand 
details.      Compared  with    this   mental  toil,   the  labor  of 
dragging  the  sledges  over  the  Greenland  ice  fields  was 
little  more  than  child's  play.     It  engrossed  him  day  and 
night,  and  encroached  terribly  on  the  few  hours  that  were 
left  for  his  home  and  his  family.     The  strain  upon  his 
vital  force  was  incomparably  greater  than  in  any  of  his 
previous  efforts. 

In  the  beginning  of  1892  he  again  set  forth  on  a  lectur- 
ing tour,  this  time  in  England,  the  profits  going  to  the 
expedition  fund.  He  spoke  in  London  and  in  the  other 
great  towns  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  visiting 
Liverpool,  Manchester,  Sheffield,  Birmingham,  Hull,  New- 
castle, Edinburgh,  Belfast,  Dublin,  Bristol,  and  many  other 
places. 

"  His  lectures,"  writes  a  friend  in  England,  "  were  highly 
aj^preciated  and  made  a  great  success.  His  mastery  of 
the  English  language  was  remarkable.     He  made  himself 


I 


i 
I 


\trt 


ij  j 


202 


JVANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


thoroughly  heard  and  understood.  Of  course  he  read  his 
addresses ;  but  to  my  thinking  his  speaking  was  most 
effective  when,  at  the  end  of  his  last  lecture  before  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  he  laid  his  manuscript  aside. 
It  was,  in  a  sense,  a  farewell  to  England,  inspired  by  a 
depth  of  feeling  which  stirred  his  audience  to  enthusiasm. 
I  can  assure  you  that  when  Nansen  returns,  a  magnificent 
reception  awaits  him  in  this  country." 

Late  in  the  autumn  of  this  year  his  sliip  was  launched. 

"  A  whole  troop  of  invited  guests,"  writes  Gustaf  Ret- 
zius,  in  the  "  Aftonblad  "  for  November  3,  1S92,  "  took  the 
morning  train  on  October  26,  from  Christiania  to  Laurvik. 
There  had  been  ten  degrees  of  frost  in  the  night ;  snow 
had  fallen,  and  a  thin  white  veil  lay  over  hill  and  valley. 
Gradually  the  mists  dispersed,  and  the  morning  sun  shone 
out  with  the  peculiar  softened  splendor  characteristic  of 
a  clear  winter  day.  Nansen  himself  receives  us  at  Laurvik 
station,  and  leads  us  to  a  whale-boat,  lying  at  the  pic/, 
with  a  crow's-nest  at  its  foretop.  It  carries  us  down  the 
fjord,  then  turns  to  the  left  and  runs  in  shore.  Here,  in 
Ra^kevik  Bay,  lies  the  hull  of  a  ship,  shored  up  on  the 
beach,  with  its  stern  to  the  sea.  It  is  Fridcjof  Nansen's 
new  shi}),  which  is  now  to  go  off  the  stocks.  The  hull  is 
high  and  broad,  black  below,  white  above.  The  three 
goodly  masts  of  American  pitch-pine  are  still  lying  along- 
side her  on  the  wharf.  Three  flagstaffs  have  been  erected 
on  the  deck,  two  with  flags,  the  one  in  the  middle  without. 
It  is  reserved  for  the  pennant  bearing  the  ship's  as  yet 
unknown  name,  which  is  to  be  hoisted  after  the  christen- 
ing. There  are  many  speculations  as  to  what  the  name 
is  to  be.     People  guess  Eva,  Lei/,  AW^e,  and  Nordpolcn. 

"  Thousands  of  spectators  have  gathered  around  Colin 


t 


o 


fcr| 


l.i 


i|  ;  i 


■ '  »  I, 


n  J 


204 


I^AA'SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Archer's  wharf,  thousands  have  clambered  up  on  the 
rocks.  But  around  the  great  vessel  lying  shored  up  on 
the  slips  stand  groups  of  sturdy  figures  in  working  clothes, 
with  grizzled  hair  and  furrowed  features,  carefully  examin- 
ing her  lines  and  build.  These  are  whalers  and  seal-hunt- 
ers who  have  year  after  year  braved  the  dangers  of  the 
Polar  Sea.  There  are  also  many  workmen  among  them, 
ship's-carpenters  who  have  helped  in  Hie  building,  and 
who  now  regard  their  work  with  just  satisfaction.  But  the 
master  builder  is  the  stately  man  with  the  serious  refined 
features  and  the  long  white  beard.     It  is  Colin  Archer. 

"  Fridtjof  Nansen,  followed  by  his  wife,  now  mounts  a 
platform  erected  close  to  the  vessel's  bows.     Mrs.  Nansen 
steps  forward,  breaks  a  champagne  bottle  against  the  stem 
at  one  strong  blow,  and  says  loud  and  clear :  '  Fram  skat 
den  hede'~^^\v^  shall  be  called  Fram.''     At  the  same 
moment  the  flag  is  hoisted  on  the  unoccupied  flagstaff, 
and  the  word  can  be  read   in  white   letters  upon  a  red 
ground.     The  last  moorings  are  now  quickly  cast  off,  the 
last  supports  knocked  away,  and  the  great  vessel  glides, 
at  first  slowly,  then  quicker  and  quicker,  stern-foremost, 
down  the  sharply  sloping  groove  which  leads  to  the  water. 
It  plunges  deeper  and  deeper.     For  a  moment  it  almost 
seems  as  though  it  were  going  to  sink,  or  at  any  rate  to 
strike  the  bottom.     But  as  the  stem  approaches  th-e  water 
the  stern  rises,  and  finally  the  whole  vessel  floats  away,  to 
be  brought  back  in  a   few  minutes,  laid    alongside  the 
wharf,  and   there   moored.      At  the    moment  when    the 
whole  bulk  of  the  ship  had  taken  the  water,  a  great  wave 
swept  shoreward  and  washed  over  the  rocks  and  over  the 
onlookers  who  had  perched  themselves  close  to  the  sea. 

^  Fram  =  Forwards. 


NANSEN  A  2'  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


205 


We  could  see  them  from  the  distance  scrambling  like  wet 
flies  up  the  slippery  rocks.  A  large  boat  which  had  been 
swept  ashore  by  the  wave  was  with  difficulty  saved,  but 
without  misadventure. 

"  On  the  platform,  by  his  wife's  side,  Fridtjof  Nansen 
stood  tall  and  erect,  and  watched  the  scene.  All  eyes 
were  bent  upon  them.  We  could  not  but  think  what 
their  feelings  must  have  been  at  the  moment  when  the 
vessel  glided  into  the  sea:  feelings  of  gladness  that  the 
prologue  to  the  long  dark  drama  that  was  to  be  enacted 
in  the  polar  night  was  now  happily  concluded  ;  feelings 
of  pain  at  the  thought  of  the  long  separation  that  lay 
before  them. 

"  For  all  who  were  present,  it  was  a  moment  of  deep 
emotion  when,  amid  the  booming  of  guns  and  the  thun- 
dering cheers  of  the  multitude,  the  Fram  plunged  into 
the  sea  and  rose  again  proudly  in  its  freedom.  Many 
were  afterward  heard  to  say  that  it  was  one  of  the  most 
impressive  experiences  of  their  lives.  As  the  ship  glided 
forth  in  the  silvery  light  reflected  from  the  calm  surface 
of  the  sea,  we  seemed,  in  a  flash  of  foresight,  to  be  read- 
ing the  Saga  of  the  future.  We  seemed  to  glance  down 
the  vista  of  her  destiny,  to  see  her,  in  waters  no  keel  has 
yet  furrowed,  spreading  light  over  regions  no  eye  has  yet 
seen.  And  when  we  came  to  think  of  the  stern  realities 
which  must  one  day  surround  the  vessel  and  its  crew  on 
their  daring  quest,  the  cold,  the  darkness,  the  storms,  the 
icebergs,  ana  all  that  follows  in  their  train,  we  c^nld  not 
but  feel  a  touch  of  awe.  But  in  Fridtjof  Nansen 's  serene, 
unembarrassed,  steadfast  glance,  there  was  no  trace  of 
doubt  or  anxiety.  He  has  the  faith  and  the  will-power 
that  can  move  mountains." 


2o6 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


*    ! 


t  :  I 


Colin  Archer,  the  builder  of  the  Fram,  beloncfs  to  a 
Scotch  family.  His  name  is  widely  known  and  highly 
respected  in  Norway.  "  It  is  not  many  years  since  our 
pilot  boats  were  sadly  deficient  in  point  both  of  speed  and 
of  safety.  They  were  neither  well  built  nor  well  designed 
for  the  work  they  had  to  do,  so  that  it  frequently  hap- 
pened that  the  boat  went  down  and  took  the  pilot  with  it. 
Mr.  Archer  devoted  himself  to  the  task  of  furnishinir  our 
pilots  with  a  faster  and  safer  sea-boat  After  more  than 
twenty  years'  work,  he  has  met  with  such  success  that 
the  pilot  can  now  face  almost  any  weather  in  one  of  his 
boats,  and  that  those  he  leaves  at  home  need  no  longer 
tremble  and  turn  pale  when  the  surf  is  lashing  and  the 
storm  sweeping  over  the  sea." 

In  a  speech  which  he  made  that  day,  Mr.  Archer  said 
that  he  would  never  have  been  able  to  solve  this  peculiar 
problem,  so  unlike  any  that  he  had  hitherto  attempted, 
if  Nansen  himself  had  not  furnished  him  with  the  key ; 
it  was  Nansen  s  constructive  sense  that  had  throughout 
pointed  the  way.     But  Nansen  had  no  less  right  on  his 
side  when  he  praised  Colin  Archer's  talent,  and  expressed 
the   belief    that   never  before  had  a  ship  been  built  for 
Arctic  work  with  any  approach  to  the  care  and  thought 
which  had  been  devoted  to  this  one.     Let  us  hope  that 
Colin  Archer's  most  noteworthy  "  pilot  boat,"  which  is  to 
pilot  humanity  through  ice-packed  channels  and  over  un- 
known waters,  may  stand  the   test  as  well  as  the  other 
"  Archer-boats,"  its  predecessors. 

The  Fram,  which  in  reality  somewhat  resembles  a  pilot 
boat,  is  specially  designed  to  play  the  part  allotted  it  in 
Nansen's  general  scheme.  His  idea  is  not  to  burst  his 
way  by  force  through  masses  of  ice,  but  to  let  the  Fram 


NANSEAT  AT  HOME   AND  ABROAD  307 

lie  firmly  frozen  in  and  be  carried  forv/ard  by  the  current. 
It  is  not  a  fast  ship,  then,  that  he  needs,  but  a  vessel 
which  can  bea  ,:.a  immense  pressure  of  ice  without  beino- 
crushed.  It  had  to  be  so  designed  that  the  ice  should 
not  be  able  to  grip  its  sides  and  squeeze  them  together, 
but  should,  as  ic  were,  wedge  itself  under  the  hull  and 
force  it  up  out  of  the  water.  For  this  reason  the  sides 
and  bottom  are  strongly  rounded.  In  order  to  secure 
the  greatest  possible  strength  the  ship  had  to  be  as  small 
as  possible,  and  particularly  short  in  proportion  to  its 
breadth.  This  would  facilitate  both  the  raising  of  the 
hull  when  the  ice  got  packed  under  it,  and  the  handling 
of  the  vessel  among  the  floes  when  it  should  be  released 
from  its  ice-berth. 

The  Fram's   length    on    deck  is   128    feet;  length  on 
water-line,  113  feet;  keel,  102  feec.     Her  extreme  breadth 
is   36   feet;  breadth   at  water-line,   exclusive  of   ice-skin, 
34  feet ;  depth,  1 7  feet.     When  she  is  lightly  loaded,  the 
draft  of  water  is  12!  feet.     The  keel,  which  is  14  inches 
by   i^  I'nches,  American  elm,  projects  only  3  inches  be 
low  the  planking,  and  its  edges  are  well  rounded.     The 
frames  are  double,  being  built  chiefly  of  Italian  oak,  <  l> 
tained  from  the  dockyards  at  Horten,  where  it  had  been 
stored  for  thirty  years.     The    lining  is  pitch-pine.     The 
outside  planking  consists  of  three  layers:  the  inner  one 
being  3  inches  oak,  the  middle  one  4  inches  oak,  and 
outside  all  an  ice-skin  of  greenheart,  increasing  in  thick- 
ness from  3  inches  at  the  keel  to  6  inches  at 'the  water- 
hne.      Both. bow  and  stern  are  protected  by  a  covering 
of   iron   bars.      The   total   thickness  of   the   ship's   sides 
IS  24  to  28  inches,  and  their  power  of  resisting  pressure 
is  thus  very  considerable ;  but  it  is  greatly  increased  b- 


!■■  ' 


I 


208 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


W 


m 


W 


powerful  beams  or  stays  of  wood  or  iron.  The  hold 
is  divided  into  three  water-tight  compartments.  The 
structural  strength  of  the  Fram  is  thus  quite  exceptional. 
Never  before  has  a  vessel  been  so  fortified  against  the 
attacks  of  the  ice. 

During  these  years  of  toil  Nansen  enjoyed  breathing 
spaces,  when  he  gathered  his  friends  around  him.  These 
pleasant  interludes  in  his  work  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  took  part  in  them.  They  remember  the  din- 
ner when  all  the  painters  — Werenskjold,  Eilif  Peterssen, 
Skredsvig,  Munthe,  Sinding  —  gave  themselves  up  to 
high  jinks  without  beginning  or  end,  when  they  would 
on  no  account  listen  to  polite  speeches,  but  rushed  into 
the  kitchen  and  set  the  pump  going  whenever  any  one 
began.  Nansen  was  thoroughly  at  home  among  the  paint- 
ers—he himself  dabbled  a  little  in  their  handicraft,' and, 
during  his  Bergen  days,  had  worked  in  the  studio  of  old 
Schiertz,  who  thought  he  had  the  makings  of  an  artist  in 
him. 

They  remember,  too,  that  Midsummer  Eve,  when 
Lammers  sang  of  the  hero  Roland,  and  Nansen  went 
down  to  the  bonfire  and  piled  on  wood. 

Hy  way  of  exemplifying  the  hours  of  relaxation  in  the 
life  of  labor  depicted  in  this  book,  one  of  tlie  authors 
will  note  down  his  recollections  of  a  luncheon  party 
at  Nansen's  house,  the  day  after  the  launch  of  the  Fram. 

J  Nansen  draws  t-xci'llently :  all  the  plates  for  l\i.s  zotilofrical,  anatomical, 
and  histological  essays  arc  drawn  by  himself.  We  mav  mention,  as  a  charac- 
teristic instance  of  liis  encrjjy  in  every  department,  th.i  he  was  not  content 
with  himself  making  the  drawings  for  his  works.  Init  also  learned  lithography, 
so  that,  for  example,  the  plates  in  his  principal  es.say  on  the  mrvoiis  system 
arc  drawn  on  the  stone  with  his  own  hand. 


NANSEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD  209 

It  had  rained  overnight,  so  that  the  roads  were  ankle- 
deep  in  autumn  mud.  Nansen  himself  met  us  at  the 
station  in  the  highest  of  spirits. 

When  we  reached  his  house  (a  quarter  of  an  hour's 
walk  from  Lysaker  station)  it  was  raining.  The  fjord 
stretched  before  us  dark  and  depressing,  the  gray  autumn 
sky  seemed  to  droop  disconsolate  among  the  pine  stems. 
But  in  Nansen  s  study  branches  and  logs  were  crackling 
and  smouldering  cosily  upon  the  open  hearth. 

Here  everything  is  in  old  Norse  style.  Nansen  him- 
self, as  before  mentioned,  designed  the  furniture  of  light 
pine-wood,  beautifully  carved  nith  dragon  arabesql'iL^s. 
Over  the  high  seat  hangs  a  tapestry  of  an  antique  pat- 
tern. 

Luncheon  was  served  in  the  cosey  little  dining-room, 
and  merriment  was  the  order  of  the  day.  Full' justice' 
was  done  to  one  dish  after  another ;  and  Nansen  is  not 
the  man  to  forget  to  season  the  viands  with  talk.  He 
was,  of  course,  still  tail  of  memories  of  the  previous  day, 
and  one  incident  of  the  launch  after  another  was  related 
and  discussed.  IVIrs.  Nansen  had  to  analyze  her  sensa- 
tions at  the  moment  when  she  broke  the  champagne 
bottle  against  (he  l)..u-  and  said:  -  Fnim  slcal  dai  hedc!'' 
Some  one  else  related  h..w  Archer  was  seen  to  close  his 
eyes  when  the  ship  began  to  move;  and  so  forth. 

When  the  champagne  appeared,  Nansen  proposed 
Ket/.uis's  health,  and  Ket/ius  thus  ended  his  speech  in 
reply :  — 

"  This  is  a   delightful    home  of  yours,   Nansen.  and    I 

cannot  but  mar\el  at  your  resolution   in  tearing  yourself 

away  from  it  to  set  forth  into  the  polar  winter,  and  brave 

an  unknown  fate.     You.  a  biologist,  have  the  sea  stretch- 

14 


r 


2IO 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


rr* 


'I 


ing  before  your  very  wind 
.ind  fascinatin<r  t 


ows,  with  all  its  inexhaustible 
g  treasures.  Mere  you  are  in  the  midst  of 
all  your  old  friends,  the  marine  fauna— vith  norms 
niollusks,  and  mud-eels  at  y(,ur  beck  and  call.  We  scien- 
tists, who  so  highly  appreciate  Nansen  the  biolooist  — 
tlie  man  who  has  successfully  steered  many  a  voyaoc  of 
exploration  over  the  unknown  de])ths  of  the  biohrgical 
world,  and  especially  through  the  intricacies  of ''the 
nervous  system —cannot  quite  reconcile  ourselves  to  the 
tliought  that  you  are  deserting  this  field  of  labor  to  go  so 
far  and  to  be  absent  so  Ion"-. 

"  Hut  you  have  yourself  determined  it,  you  have  decreed 
your  own  destiny. 

"And  besides,  when  the  explorer  returns  from  his 
adventurous  voyage,  the  biologist  will  find  the  field  of 
investigation  as  rich  as  ever.  V„u  may  make  your  mind 
easy  — we  who  arc  left  at  home  will  not  reap  the  whole 
harvest  —  there  will  be  plenty  left  tor  you  to  dc.  \Vc  are 
as  yet  only  at  the  beginning  of  our  work. 

There  is  only  one  thing  I  fear,  and  that  is  that 
I'ndtjof  Nansen,  when  he  comes  back  from  the  North 
Pole,  will  discover  that  the  earth  has  a  South  Pole  as 
well." 

As  we  clink  glasses  and  drink  Nansen 's  health,  stran-e 
thoughts  fill  our  minds.  \\  h„  knows  when  this  circle  of 
friends  may  meet  again  .^  Not,  at  any  rate,  until  one  of 
them  shall  have  returned  from  afar. 

Nansen  is,  as  usual,  (juiet  and  at  his  ease.  As  the  later 
courses  come  on,  we  get  him  to  tell  us  some  of  his  stories, 
lie  has  an  unusual  gift  of  ,,ral,  no  less  than  of  written 
narrative  :  he  des.ribes  i)icturesc|uely,  with  i)owerful 
touches,  and,  on  occasion,  with  charming  humor.     I'irst 


NAJVSEN  AT  NOME   AND  An  ROAD 


211 


we  get  liini  on  the  polar  bears.  Then  sonic  one  asks 
about  the  time  when  he  and  Mrs.  Nansen  climbed  Nore- 
fjcld  on  New  Year's  Eve. 

"Yes,  it  was  really  New  Year's  Eve;  it  was  in   1890. 
Eva  and  I  had  gone  up  to  Kroderen  for  a  breath  of  fresh 


NANSKN    AND    MKS.    NANSIN    ON    SNUW-SHOI'.S 

air,  and  we  made  u|)  our  minds  to  climb  Norefjeld  — to 
the  top  of  course.  We  slc|)t  at  Olberg,  and  were  rather 
la/.y  in  the  morning,  so  (h.-.t  it  was  about  ten  o'clock 
before  we  mad.  ■  start.  And  we  didn't  hurry  at  all  at 
first,  so  that  t.,e  day  slipi)ed  on.  It's  scmiething  of  an 
ascent  even  in  summer;  but  in  winter,  when  the  days  are 
short,  you  have  to  look  sharp  if  you  want  to  get  to  the 


11 


m 


'if" 


Hi 


1 1 


I- 


Tl  ^ 

li'A    . 


I 


212 


iV^./7V3i^^  /,V  77/^  FROZEN   WORLD 


top  while  it  s  light.     And  then  we  had  taken  a  course  of 
our  own -well,  it  may  have  been  the  most  direct  but  it 
certamly  was  n't  the  c,uickest.     The  snow  was  very  deep 
and  we  had  n't  any  guide.     At  last  we  could  n't  possibh' 
use  our  snow-shoes  any  longer ;  it  got  so  steep  we  had  to 
take  them  off  and  carry  then..     I^ut  we  were  bound  to  do 
It  all  the  same;  you  can't  face  about  and  leave  a  thin.r 
half  done,  however  much  ice  and  frozen  snow  there  may 
be.      The  last  piece  almost  beat  us ;  I  had  to  cut  our  way 
step  by  step  with  my  staff.     I  went  ahead,  Eva  followed 
It  remmded  me  of  what  the  little  girl  wrote  in  her  school 
essay:    'Tor  e^■ery  step  ^^•e  x\ent  forward,  we  went  two 
stejDs  back.     /\t  last  we  reached  the  top.' 

"  WY'll,  we  too  reached  the  top,  but  it  was  dark,  and  we 
haci  been  at  it  from  ten  till  five  with  .  othing  to  eat.  So 
now  we  set  to  and  picnicked  in  the  snow  and  the  pitchy 
darkness,  on  inysost^  and  pemmican  mixed." 

"You  may  thank  heaven  we  don't  treat  you  to  that 
to-day."  said  Mrs.  Nansen. 

"Yes,  )„u  made  wry  faces  over  it,  lua,"  growled  her 
husband.     "  lUit  it  's  all  a  matter  of  habit." 

We  lingered  over  our  walnuts  and  our  wine  while  Nan- 
sen  continued:  "Well,  there  we  two  sat  alone  in  t'hc 
snow  at  the  top  of  Norefjeld,  something  \\V^  ^^^^  ^^^^ 
above  (he  level  of  the  sea.  Thr  frost-wind  nipped  our 
cheeks,  the  darkness  grew  dense t  and  denser.  J-ar  away 
in  the  west  there  lingered  a  xery,  xery  feeble  gleam  of  day, 
the  last  in  the  year.     We  had  to  see  about  getting  down 


agam 


"We  struck  a  course  more  or  less  in   the  direction  of 
I'.ggedal.     {■n.m  I  ICgevarde  -  down  into  the  valley  is  jjcr- 
'  ^'"^^''"^  ""^"^  '  ''^^•«'^-  ^  TI.c  Inp  of  Norefjeld. 


J^AJVSEV  AT  HOME  AND  ABKOAD  ,,3 

haps  .bout  a  Norwegian  n,ilc,'  wl,ich  would  have  been 
"otl'.ng  at  all  .f  i,  bad  been  light.  But  it  was  n't  so  easy 
to  find  our  way  m  the  darkness.  '■' 

Inw';"*^  "'^,/l""S"'  i"to  the  night,  I  ahead  and  Eva  fol- 
lou  ng.     We  went  like  the  wind  over  rocks  and  slopes, 

When  ™^"7''^^•  '"  '^-PO"'-  balance,  lean  tell  you. 

V  en  you  ve  been  out  in  the  dark  for  sonre  tiuK-,  a  sort 
of  d.n   shu,,n,er  see„,s  to  rise  fron,  the  snow;  you  can 't 

all  .t  hght,  but  it  is  n't  absolute  darkness  eithe,:.  '  Heaven 

tr  we  TV"  TT" '"  ""■'  ^'""«  ^""'^■"''"-- '-"  "-•>"■ 

age  «e  d,d.     A  I  of  a  sudden    I  had  to  stop  short,  and 
hout  to  l..v.a      It  was  too  steep  for  snow-shoes,  there  wa 

nothu,g  or  ,t  but  to  sit  down  and  slide.     It  s  not  good 
for  your  trou.sers,  but  it  "s  safer  in  the  dark 

"  Iho  wmd  nipped  om-  ears  till  they  tingled,  for  it  was 
nce.ng  hke  anything;  and  on  we  went.  Suddenly,  .as 
uewere  gou,g  at  full  speed,  n,y  hat  blew  off-a  inlo 
gray  hat  of  the  sort  I  usually  wear 

"  -So  I  had  to  put  (he  brake  on,  and  get  to  n,y  legs  a-nrin 

up  I  saw  something  black  upon  the  snow' .scU.     i 

i|>  o  ,  ,  .scy.ed  ,t,  and  found  i,  was  a  stone.     The  hat  UH,st 

bofartherb,ack  —  ves.  there  il  WIS  \  ■  ,,','""''' 
a  stone  II,  -''-■>"'-"-  It  "as.  .Agani  I  clutched  at 
a    tone      Hats  seemed  to  swarn,  all  over  the  snow;  bnt 

"Henlaunetopn,  then,  on, hey  .all  turned  .,,st,nc" 

aic  not  awh„  belter.     There  was  nothing  for  it  but  ,0 
g"  ahe.ad  hatless.  °  '" 

.,.;'7"T'''"' "'"■'■'■ '''"''^'''"'■'    •'--'•'shouted, 
'•va         I  Ik' answer  cimc  from  f.ir.  f,,r  below. 

ere  seemed   .0   be  no  end   ,0  ,hat  mile.     Hut  we 
'"•'"aged  ,0  keepgo„,g  somehow;  and  n,nv  and  then  »c 

•  Seven  Knglisli  miles. 


^^ 


ii'i 


III 


If  f  I 


i  ^ 

214  MiJVS^Ar  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

could  use  our  snow-shoes  too.  All  of  a  sudden  the  ground 
seemed  to  fall  away  at  our  feet;  we  stopped  at  the  vercre 
of  a  precipitous  bank  —  how  high  it  was  we  could  n't  se^'e, 
but  over  it  we  had  to  go,  one  first,  the  other  after.  The' 
snow  was  deep,  and  when  that  is  so,  you  can  clear  incred- 
ible distances. 

"  We  had  long  ago  lost  our  bearings,  if  we  had  ever  had 
any.     We  only  knew  that  ue  must  oo  ahead.     At  last  we 
came  to  a  dead  fix.     Eva  had  once  more  to  sit  and  wait 
vvhile  I  cast  about  for  a  ^^•ay.     I  went  groping  around  in 
the  darkness  and  was  a  long  time  gone.     All  of  a  sudden 
a  thought  struck  me:  suppose  she   were  to  fall   aslec])! 
Such  things  have  been  known  to  haj^pen,  and  she  must 
be  dead  tired.     'Eva,  Eva!'  I  shouted.     '  Yes  ! '  she  an- 
swered right  enough,  but  this  time  from  far,  far  above.     If 
she  had  fallen  asleep  I  don't  know  that  I  could  ever  have 
found  her  again.     As  it  was  I  groped  my  way  up  to  her, 
bnngmg  with  me  the  good  news  that  I  had  found  a  water- 
course.    I  won't  say  chat  a  watercourse  is  the  best  possi- 
ble  snow-shoe  course,  especially  in  pitchy  darkness,  when 
your  stomach  is  empty  and  your  conscience   ill  at  ease — 
for  this  was  really  a  reckless  piece  of  work.     Hut  some- 
how or  other  we  did  contrive  to  make  our  way  down  the 
watercourse. 

"  Now  we  were  among  the  birch-trees,  and  at  last  we 
struck  upon  a  road.  So  the  worst  was  over.  l\ar  down, 
we  came  ui)on  a  hut.  I  thought  it  looked  cosey  enough,' 
but  I<:va  said  it  was  dirty  and  horrid.  And  now  she  was 
quite  lively;  she  was  determined  to  |)ush  on.  just  like  a 
woman. 

"  To  make  a  long  story  short,  we  at  last  reached  the 
parish  clerk's  house  in  Eggedal.     It  was  now  late  at  night, 


NANSEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABJWAD  2,5 

SO  we  had  to  wake  the  people  up.  The  parish  clerk  was 
quite  frightened  when  he  heard  we  had  come  from  the  top 
of  Norefjeld.  ^ 

''  This  time  Eva  was  not  so  particular  about  her  nioht's 
odgmg.    She  had  no  sooner  sat  down  in  a  chair  than'she 
ell  asleep  ;  ,t  was  twelve  at  night,  and  she  had  been  on 
her  teet  for  fourteen  hours. 

" '  He  s  (luite  worn  out,  poor  boy,'  said  the  parish  clerk'- 
lor  hva  was  wearing  a  gray  snow-shoeing  dress,  with  a 
short  skn-t  and  trousers. 
"  '  It  is  my  wife,'  said  I. 

"  Vou  should  have  heard  the  exclamations.    '  Oh  I  ord 
oh  Lord,  you  don't  mean   to  say  so  !     Think  of  draggin..' 
yc)ur  w,fe  with   you   over  the   top   of   Norefjeld   on^  New 
Years  Kve  !  ' 

"I3ut  now  came  supper-and  as  soon   as  she  smelled 
that  ,t  was  not  mysosl  and  pemmican  she  wakened  up 

"  It  e.uled  m  om-  resting  three  days  at  the  parish  clerk's 
-and   that  was  our  New  Year's  Kve  ascent  of  Norefjeld 
I  thought  ,t  great  fun  ;  but  1  don'l  know  what  Kva  would 
say. 

"  When  «c  k.ft  |.:.n;odal  tlu.  ,„,.„-  l,oyan,I  I  <ln,ve  ,l,nvn 
Nu,„ech,i  I,,  K„n,^rsbe,•g,  and  the  l,„y  ^vas  almost  fru.cn  to 
death. 

"  But  one  has  to  go  through  a  Utile  hardship  now  and 
then  to  enjoy  life  properly  after  it.  If  vou  don't  know 
^vhat  cold  IS,  neither  do  3-01,  know  what  it' is  to  be  warm." 

The  time  draws  on  for  the  great  departure.  The  sum- 
"H"r  (_.f  ,S<,3  has  come.  In  the  evenings,  while  his  secre- 
tary IS  writing  at  full  speed,  and  Nansen  is  walking  up 
and  down  directing  and  dictating,  he  will  suddenly  slip 


'1$ 


216 


M-lA^SJiJV  IN  THE  FJWZEN  IVOKLD 


•iN 


%  ■ 

J,. 


.  < 


\\  ' 


""'  -'IHl  ^'Pix-ar  o„  the  slo.K.  in  front  of  Ihc  honsc.     Here 
plantn,g  ,s  g,.,no-  on  -  gooseberry  an<l  cnrrant  In.she, 
a„.  e  and  pear  trees.     Nansen  In'n.self  points  ont        he 
gardener  „  Itere  every  tree,  every  bush  is   , ,  stan.l     •■     w  | 
be  sp lenchd  soil,"  says  the  „,a„,  .s  he  fills  th      ole    J 
"'""1<1  nn.ed  with  seaweed.   ..,,h  yes,  i,H.pe  they     ;^^^^^^ 

f'on    (he  great  pn,e  stems  in  front  of  the  hon.se,  the  waves 
::::"^""'^'-"-«-^ • -H,  ag.ainst  .he  bJael,. 

,1,.  ,.  '"'LsiMtkr'     Ihiumanv  even  ngs  will 

tl-  stn,  disappear  behin,!   the  ridge,  befo,e  eurrent  an 

wn,d  and  wave  bring  his  ship  honu.  again..    Evening  a. 
evening.  n,onth  after  month,  year  after  year  I 

(^,AMdsn,n„,erl..y  the /■>-,,„  lies  at  Pipervikreadv 
to  ^ta,t  Onlyastnall  grou,,  of  Christiania  people  have 
ga  here,  ,0  stare  at  the  chnnsy-looking  ship  which   st 

l-st    .s  berth  long  after  the  time  appointed  for  the  star,. 

J"slshtrs,heno,ieetal<enof,.n,  aehievementinthe 
-1.    W  hen  he  eon,es  back  again,  all  Christiania  will  turn 

;:"';;"•  '"'"■      "•"  "-  --  alw.ys  ...     As  though 

,     ',;  '""""-  "'.','.;."'"--^'  "'-  «-t  -l-ign,  to  t.ake  this 

n  use    esp.„,s,,h,y,,o  bear  all  burdens  until  you  are 

Had     "    '';"P>"Kierllu.n,-andlostan<lerecton   the 

<|narter.deck   an.l   take  your  life   in  your  hands.     Th    e 

V.V  n,     n,any  that  day  who  renumbered  the  old  saying 

\MiiUi    had   Ixvii    cited  at    kivkevik  whon  - 

a,n.he    :    -../  ,_,„„  ,^.^,„^^,  „^,.^^,_^  J    - 

W^      (W  e  judge  great  n,e„  by  their  virttte,  not  by  their 


N.imiiN  AT  HOME  AND  AJJA'OAf)  „, 

""I  "",.ns  th<,,so  who  had  gathered  to  see  Nanse,,  off 
«-e  many  ,„en,ber.s  „f  the  Storthing.  ISy  two  rosoU,- 
('".-.  ulmh  ,„u.st  he  reekoned  to  the  credit  of  so  s,„all  a 
people,  the  Storthing  had  confihuted  a  sum  of  aho„t 
#75.000  to  tl,e  expenses  of  the  expedition.  To-<h.y  it  IkuI 
-ij"unK.l  m  order  .0  hid  fareuell  .0  its  leader.  But 
Nausen  ha,l  not  been  inlonned  of  tids,  and  h.ul  not  yet 
;■■■"-  ""  l^"^.al.  Tl,e  n,en,hers  of  tl,e  Storthing  waited 
I'"-  l'""'s,  and  .It  last  could  wait  no  longer. 

'••vni  at  ll,e  last  moment  there  were"det.ails  of  business 
llut  Nausen  l,a<l  to  attend  to.  The  whole  n.ornin.r 
l"sse<  and  e  ha.l  had  scarcely  a  nK.ment  to  exchangt 
a  w..r.l  w„h  h,s  wife.  The  farewell  was  of  the  sh.n-te'st. 
When  he  can,e  clownstairs,  little  l.iv  was  brought  to  him 

-.Imgle. 00k  the  child  in   his  arms:  "Ah  yes,  you 
laugh,  l.,v,  but  I !••     lie  sobbed  ^ 

1  IK'U  he  jun,ped  into  the  little  petroleum  hunch 
s  eauH,!  up  the  fjor.l,  boar.led  the  /.>.«,  taking  no  noti  e 
..any  one,  we       .,  ,0  the  bridge,  and  gave  ,n-ders  for  the 

.  r let  i,  ■  ""       '"  ''"  '"'^  "'  "'■•^'  '""'"^""  -■"  -ver 


One 


une  picture  from  his  storj.  of  that  New  Year's  Kve  ex- 
ped.t.on  has  often  risen  before  our  minds  during  these 
y-.rs  of  wa,t„,g.     She  sits  alone  upon  the  UK.unt.^'n,  and 

.p.es  f,,rth    uuo   ,he  in,penetrable  darkness,  s ,g,  " 

"  '.^.        hen  ,a  voice  is  heard  fron,  far  off  on   the  snow- 
held,     lie  IS  there!     1  le  is  comiuL' I 


If 


CHAPTER    Xn 

ON    ROARD    TIIK    "  FRAM  " 

p,is::;'"w  c  t"  "'='"  •'"""■'"  "-■  -'"'^^  ''■-•>••  "•■•■'- 

loressoi    v\ .  L.    linio-jrcr,  ever   since    we   starter!   f,„,„ 
';-cIegocle.     NVe  had  first  „,acle  a  tack'  ,„„  „ 

ng  t  aeross  tl,e  Vestfjord  toward  Moskena-s  Isla  ^1 
l"^cl  now  put  about,  and  were  heading  strai<d,t  fo  t  1 
l>assage  soutlieast  of  .Skraa^■en 

liftec'r'tirse'a'it  ':"'"'  '""  ''''■''  "'^"  ^-^^  *a„,  and 
the    sea   n,t<.    f,.am-topped    «aves    which    nlashed 

mono  onously  against  the  l.,,ad  ho.v  of  tl,e  /.>!    T  , 
poughed    her  way  .hrougl,   tl,en,,  as    hea.,    .aan   1 
Dutch  galh-ot  and  as  steach-  as  a  ,„ck  ^ 

Up  on  the  bridge  the  pilof,  Haagensen,  was  pacing  to 
and   f,o   ,„   sturdy  securhy,    now   and   then    sh,  utin.:   ,„ 

c  .altct.     But  the  fan-way  was  at  tl,is  point  so  .dear  that 
there  was  not  very  much  for  a  pilouo  do -a  wide  eh 

neU,  front,  and  a  steady  wind  blowing,  hour  af;:,;,,: 

At    he  end  of  ,hc  bridge    Nausen   h.,d   rigged   up   for 
I>."-elf  ,an  open-air  s.u.ho-an  easel  an<l  a  fe^-  bo    s 

paselcolors-andherehesat.hewholeeveniu     an 

heedless  of  ,|e  coW  wn,<l  (whi.d,,  howe^■er,  w.as  gradnallv 
j  opp.ng),  dabbing  o„  colors,  an<l  sn,udgi„g  with  h    'fi  . 

I  'e:iVur"'  '"'"'■■  ■^"  ''"'-"J-  --I  i"<'efatigablv 
that  he  lubbed  the  sku,  off.     The  blood  trickled  from  the 


ON  BOARD   THE  ''FRAW 


^}',  writes 
ted   from 

full  sail 
and,  and 

for  the 

ean,  and 
plashed 

^,  as  she 
an    old 

icinir  to 
tino-  an 
ordland 
■ar  that 
'  chan- 
hour. 
up   for 
).\es  of 
i.t;',  and 
intosh, 
iduall)- 
lis  fin- 
igably 
ni  the 


THK    "FRAM"   ' "    BERGEN 


abrasion,  and  made  a  broad  red  stripe  down  the  sky  of 
his  landscape. 

And  the  landscape  the  Fram  was  passing  was  indeed 
worth  painting  in  its  sunset  radiance.  No  pen  could 
possibly  draw  a  true  picture  of  its  ever-changing  splendor 
of  form  and  hue. 


11^  ■ 


III  u 


'< 


i 


:    ? 


Ui  I 


220 


JVANSEN  IN  THE 


l^astvvard,   ilji 


siiir 


•1  mined   by  the 


rose  the  whole  mighty  array  of  th 


{•ROZEN  WORLD 
lection   of 


■  the  sinking 

The    ,n,  ,    '^^  sprmgnig  right  up  from  the  sea 

Over   the'  K    ,-"'  ^"'"";'  ^'"  ■^^^"'"S  ^''y- 

'"tt''thc   peaks   hunpf   heaw   o-rmnV-K       uv 
masses  of  clonrl    n^,  i  •        .  -^    gJ^yish    white 

which  forn,ee:i'hf',"f  '"'n  ""  ■^'""^  °'  --• 
dors  of  Vaa..ek.lk ,  T         '°"'"'  "°""'^  "^<=  «h°"I- 

.low  of  the°  . .       ;  '""■  '™-P--"d  by  the  smouldering 
Fslina  f         "''"'"fe  ^»"' Which,  down  toward  Mo -^na^s 

The   /^yam   j^Iodded    doo-oedlv   on     f^        i    c, 
Hour  after  hour  M..    f     '"^-'^^^''yon     toward    Skraaven. 


U'i 


■     I 


ON  BOARD   THE  '' ERAM" 


221 


The  rram,  as  we  know,  does  not  pretend  to  be  a  clipper 

her.     R^ht  you  are,  /•««,  /     Slow  and  sure  wins  in  the 
end      Un  va  p.ano  ..  sa„o,  cinva  forte  va  in  morle. 

I  he  I-ram  was  now  con,paratively  trim  and  ship-shane- 
Sverdrup  ,.msein,ad  superintended  the  cleaning  prtrs' 
and  worked  the  hose  the  whole  afternoon,  while  Gere,' 
followed  h,m  wuh   the  „,op,  and  whole   rivers  of  wate 
poured    through    the    scuppers,   carrying   wi       l^TZx 
superflu,t,es.     I  should  not  like  to  swe^r  that      !;  ,Hd 
not  now  and  then  sc,uirt  a  drop  or  two  an,ong  nI  fs  ^'s 
pastels,  when  they  happened  to  pass  under  t1,e  b    I ! 
bu    ,t  could  not  be  helped -the  /■>««  haj  to  bestir  Ci- 
self  nr  order  to  look  presentable  when  she  .  ■>  to  T ^^5 
and  a  daily  scouring  was  necessirv  tn  ,-  '"'"», 

of  the  ronl  d„-ff,-  "ecessaiy  to  remove  all  traces 

'[le  coal-sh,ftmg  operati.ns  in  N.-erosund 

o    trouble   for  the  crew  was  small,  and  thingsCe     o 

he  fa  t,  at  the  cargo  was  so  exceedingly  heterogeneous. 
It  .s  not  so  easy  to  get  everything  into  order  ,vhen  an 
exact  account  has  to  be  kept  of  where  all  the  ,: 

able  a,t,cles  are  stowed,  so  .,at  they  n,.ay  always  be  at 
hand   when  needed,  perh.  s  in   the  mon,ent  of'  l.am.. 

add.tion  to  the  general  work  of  the  ship,  and  the  avera<^e 
day  was  anything  but  a  holiday.  "■'^' 

^s^r^ZT^  "T  ''-''' "°^  y^-'  «"-''"'  *eir  day's 
»o.k.     The   first   mate   was   busy  carpentering.     Little 


r 


222 


NAASEN  IX  THE  FJWZlwY  IVOAW.JJ 


r  I  I 


Scott  Hansen  was  every  one's  favorite;  althoui^h  a  mere 
boy  to  undertake  such  a  voyaoe,  —  he  was  only  twenty- 
five, —  he  did  !iis  man's  work  with  tlie  best  of  tliem.     He 
was  always  in  good  humor,  always  friendly  and  pleasant 
to  every  one;    but   his  eyes   would   beam   with   affection 
when    they  fell    upon   the    barometers  and   clironometers 
and  all   his  other  dear  instruments  up  in  the  cjiart-room, 
which  had    been   |)lace(l    under  his  care,      lie  was  to  be 
both  astronomer  and   meteorologisl  —  and  first  mate  into 
the    bargain,   and    a    little   of    everything   else.     He   was 
expecting  to  meet   Professor  IMohn  next  day  up  at  Lodin- 
gen,  and  was  consequently  very  busy  puttiPig  together  a 
cage  for  his  thermometers,  planing  and  nailing  away  until 
far  on  in  the  evening. 

There  was  not  nuich   room  on   the  de-k  of  the /n/w  ; 
indeed,  there  was  scarcely  a  sjiot   that  was  not  cumbered 
with  deck  cargo  of  all  sorts.     Almost  the  whole  s|)ace  for- 
ward was  taken   up  with   the  su])i)orts  for  the  longboats, 
and  the  superstructures  over  the  hold,  to  sav  nolhino-  of 
an  mimense  number  of  odds  and  ends,  such  as  a  huge  i)air 
of  bellows,   a  si)are   crows- nest,  a  great   tool-chest,   etc. 
Hu^  aft  it  was  even  worse  —  what  with  a  stack  of  timber 
(|)lanks,   beams,  etc.),   a    number   of   large   beer-barrels  (a 
steadily  diminishing  number,    it    nuist    be   athnitted),   the 
huge  spare  rudder  and  spare  jiropeller,  several  parts  of  the 
great  windmill  for  generating  eli'ctnVity  when   the  coal  i.^ 
exhausted,  ca|)acious  tanks  for  |)ttroleum  and  gas  oil,  oi  e 
of  the  boats,  and  finally,  under  the  bridge,  a  whole  pile  of 
dried  fish  to  feed  the  dogs  who  were  to  be  taken  on  board 
at  Yugor  Strait. 

Around    the  wheel,  howexcr,  was  a  small    open    space 
built   in  with  deck  cargo,  where  one   could   actually  j)ut 


(hV  nOARD    THE   -FRAAr  333 

one's  foot  0.1  the  deck  and  sil  eosily  sheltered  from  the 
wind.  This  was  the  favorite  evening  rendezvous  of  those 
who  had  time  to  sj)are  for  a  smoke  and  a  chat. 

Here  we  sat  this  evening  in  the  twih'-ht,  while  the 
Fmm  buffeted  its  way  throuo-h  the  seas  muier  the  I.ofo- 
tcn-Wall—  Kcndriksen,  (Ijertsen,  Jacobsen,  Christiansen 
(one  of  the  r.reenland  party),  and  I.  The  pipes  were  in 
full  blast  and  the  talk  in  full  swing. 

Jacobsen  was  a  capital   narrator,  when  you  could  work 
hmi  up  to  the  point,  which  was  not  every  day.     He  had 
seen  a  great  deal   of  the  world   between   the  South  Pole 
and  the  North,  and  had  an  unusually  rich  stock  of  expe- 
riences to  drau  upon.     Whether  he  was  recounting  his 
adventures  a.uong  the  Maories  of  New  Zealand  or  among 
the  ice  Hoes  of  Nova  Zembla,  he  always  managed  to  pu't 
an  extraordinary  amount  of  life  into  the  situation,  and  to 
transport  his  hearers  into  the  thick  of  it.     This  evening 
he  was  telling  the  story  of  his  polar-bear  hunts,  with  one 
of  the  hourbon  princes,  on   Spit/bergen,  and  he  graphi- 
cally depicted  for  us  all  th.«  manners  and  customs '"of  the 
l)olar  bear,  its  spirit  of  inquiry  and  its  clumsy  cunning.     I 
iiave  since  read  s.-   ,ewhere  that  at  parting  the  princcTpre- 
sented    him    with    his   own   gold    watch  ;  of  that   he   said 
iiothmg.  and  1  saw  nothing  of  it  while  I  was  on  board  the 
Fnxtit. 

I'oiar  bears  being  the  topic,  first  one  and  then  another 
contributed  something  of  Ids  own  experiences. 

"How  many  bears  have  you  shot.  I  lendriksen,  roughly 
speaking?  "  asks  the  mate. 

I  lendriksen  was  a  lialsfjord  man  ;  the  shape  of  his  fore- 
head, his  broad  cheek  bones,  and  the  whole  tv|)e  of  his 
pliysiognomy  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  Ji.nd  Ouien  b!oo<! 


M  ;• 


.il 


fl 


*  V. 


If' 


\m. 

m 

ir„ 

< 

1 

224 


NANSExV  JN  THE  FRO/.KN  WOi.  I.D 


m 


\   'i! 


I 


\        I 


f  , 


in  his  veins.  Be  this  as  it  may,  he  was  a  good-natured 
and  genial  fellow,  and  one  who  could  put  his  shoulder  to 
the  wheel  to  some  purpose  when  strengtli  was  needed. 
He  had  now  sailed  the  Arctic  Sea  in  every  direction  for 
fourteen  consecutive  seasons,  ever  since  he  was  nineteen  ; 

during  all  these  years  he  had 
never  felt  the  heat  of  summer, 
until  he  had  come  south  for 
a  short  time  to  help  in  fitting 
out  the  Frani. 

1  le  was  not  a  man  of  many 
words,  but  it  was  easy  to  see 
that  he  was  by  no  means 
yearning  to  repeat  his  expe- 
rit-nce  of  the  summer  tem- 
perature. He  was  one  of 
those  members  of  the  crew 
who  preferred  to  pass  the 
night  in  one  of  the  "hotels" 
on  deck,  either  in  the  Cirand  lloli'j  or  in  ( Iraxesen's  —  so 
they  had  christened  the  two  longboats.  It  is  true  that 
these  boats  were  deeply  padded  with  all  sorts  of  pack- 
ages of  furs,  so  that  you  could  no  doubt  make  yourself 
a  comfortable  enough  bed  auK.ng  them,  wlu-n  once  you 
had  wormed  yotir  way  down  through  the  layers  of  hand- 
sledges,  snow-shoes,  kaiaks.  and  other  Arctic  ajipliances 
which  wire  jjiled  up  in  these  any  hanging  hotels  a  la 
Semi  ram  is, 

"  I  \e  never  kept  count  of  them,"  answered   the  giant 
evasively. 

"  I  dare  say  you  may  put  it  at   fifty  at  least,"  said  the 
mate. 


i.'"linV;V.ir'l',;    "■■ r,M M fv 


I.IKfr.    lOIIANSKN 

(N.liiM'n's  soli- ri)ni|unicm  on  liis  sli'di;.'  cxpc- 
(lilinii  .ifliT  Ic.uinj;  llir  '•  !■  ram  ") 


i^iant 


OiV  JWARD   THE   ^^  FA'AM"  3,5 

"Oh  no!  perhaps  something  like  forty -white  bears 
I  mean,"  lie  added,  as  though  a  mere  v.hite  bear  were 
scarcely  worth  speaking  about. 

"  Have  any  of  you  shot  brown  bears  then  ?  "  I  asked. 
''  Yes,  Mogstad  has  killed  several,"  replied  the  mite. 
"The  f^rst  one,  he  had  another  man  to  help  him,  but  that 
was  when  he  was  only  si.vt.,en.  1-ive  or  six  years  after- 
ward he  kept  a  bear  barricaded  in  his  lair  for  a  whole 
nionth,  and  then  let  him  out,  and  put  a  bullet  in  him  as 
He  ran.  Oh,  he  's  a  rare  hand  at  all  sorts  of  things,  is 
Mogstad  — you  won't  easily  find  him  at  a  loss." 

"ButSverdrup  has  shot  brown   bears  too !  "  remarked 
Christiansen,  who  was  now  at  the  wheel  and  had  hitherto 
not   opened    his  mouth.      He    and    Sverdrup    were    both 
13mdal  men,  so  he  felt  he  must  stand  up  for  his  district- 
as  a  rule  it  was  not  easy  to  get  a  word  out  of  hi,u       He- 
was    evidently    suffering    agonies    of    indecision    as    to 
whether  he  shouki  go  on  with   the  ship  or  not,  although 
he  had  declared  in   advance  that  he  would  go    no  farther 
than    Iromso.     Not  that   the  (Ireenland   trip  had  fri-du- 
cned  hmi  off- it  uas  other  hindrances  that  stood  in"  his 
N\ay. 

Sverdrup  had  now  relieve.]  (he  pilot,  and  was  pacin-.- 
backward  and  forward  on  the  bridge,  with  a,i  even,  slow- 
step.  1  he  Fram  and  he  arc-  in  realitv  not  unlike  ea.h 
other;  the  same  indescribable  air  of  solidity  and  security 
breathes  around  them  both.  Kaeh  has  a  verv  thick  outc^ 
Inill,  I)ut  within  all  is  snug  and  warm  and  s'ound.  Now 
ami  agam  he  stops  beside  Nansen,  and  watches  him  min- 
ghng  the  colors  on  his  paper,  but  as  a  rule  says  nothing 
and  rcstmies  his  walk,  casting  ,,uic  k  searching  glancJs 
ahead  over  the  sea.  '     ' 

«5 


<  r.l 


!    ( 


fill 


2:;6 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


1 


Whoever  has  seen  Sverdrup  on  board  the  Fram  knows 
well  that  he  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  The 
Fram  is  no  luxurious  pleasure-yacht,  nor  is  Sverdrup  a 
model  of  courtly  elegance  —  but  you  may  be  sure  that 


Afloat  "twixt  sky  and  sea, 
The  first  of  men  is  he. 


About  the  wheel  the  talk  Ment  merrily,  undisturbed  by 
wind  or  weather.  The  waves  kept  on  gurgling  up  into 
the  rudder  hole,  which,  besides  fulfilling  its  original  pur- 
pose, served  as  a  gigantic  spittoon.  Now  and  again  an 
extra  puff  of  wind  would  come,  and  the  rioirin^r  would 
creak  as  the  sails  tightened  ;  while  the  throb  of  the  pis- 
tons in  the  engine-room  sui)j:)lied  a  monotonous  accom- 
paniment. Behind  the  |jile  of  jilanks  and  the  boat  which 
shut  us  off  from  the  bulwarks,  we  could  hear  Kvik,  the 
Greenland  dog,  snoring  and  growling  in  his  sleep,  keep- 
ing up  a  sort  of  murmur  of  contentment,  now  and  then 
intermitted  by  a  short  bark. 

"  That  confounded  cur!"  said  the  mate.  "What  do  you 
think  he  's  done  to-day.!*  Eaten  up  the  soles  of  a  pair  of 
bran  new  slii)pers  that  Amundsen  had  got  from  his  wife." 

Kvik  was  e\-ervb{xly\s  favorite  on  board  ;  but  he  had  an 
unfortunate  habit  of  de\-ouring  whatever  he  came  across 
in  the  way  of  leather  or  skins,  without  the  smallest  re- 
spect of  persons.  I'ield-glass  strai)s  and  shoe-soles,  |)()rt- 
mantcaus  and  jjortfolios,  evervthing  that  was  made  of  an 
animal's  skin  was  for  him  a  dainty  scarcely  to  be  resisted, 
though  he  knew  that  indulgence  would  be  followed  by  a 
beating.  After  all.  he  had  to  lay  in  strength  for  the 
voyage.  Young  as  he  was,  he  had  seeii  more  of  the 
world  than  most  dogs  or  men,  having  travelled  f -om  lilast 
Greenland    to   Coi)enhagen  with    thr    Ryder   Expedition, 


t  knows 
e.  Tlie 
rdriip  a 
that 


rbed  by 
up  into 
nal  pur- 
gain  an 
\  would 
the  pis- 
accom- 
Lt  whicli 
vik,  the 
p,  kcejj- 
id  til  en 

do  you 
L  pair  of 
s  wife." 

had  an 
'  across 
I  lest  re- 
js,  port- 
le  of  an 
resisted, 
ed  by  a 

for  the 

of  the 
tin  ICast 
•edition, 


ON  BOARD   THE   "  FRAAP' 

then  from  Copenhagen  to  Lysaker;  and  now  he  was  on 
his  way  from  Lysaker  to  the  Polar  Sea. 

"  Amundsen  is  married,  is  he  }  "  I  asked. 

"  Why,  of  course  lie  is !  He  's  the  most  "married  of  the 
whole  lot  of  us.  He  has  a  wife  and  six  children  It 's 
a  wonder  he  can  leave  such  a  lot  at  home  for  so  loner 
a  time."  "^ 

"  Has  he  been  north  before  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  was  out  sealing  with  the  Diana  one  season, 
and  then   last  year  he  went   to  the    Yenisei  with  a  caro-o 
rom  Shields.     Oh  yes.  he  s  quite  at   home   in   the   hi-di 
latitudes,  he  is."  "^ 

"  Juell,  the  steward,  is  he  married  too.?  " 
"  Why  of  course  he  is  -  married  and  has  children."  said 
Gjertsen.     "  That    fine   figure   of   a   woman    vou    saw  on 
board  on  the  way  from  Christiania  to  Hortc;,  you  know 
-that  s  h^    wife.     She  s  been  a  lot  about  with  him,  too 
A  few  years  ago  she   went  with   him  right   to   the   Gold 
Coast  and  when  they  were  going  ashore,  Juell  thought  he 
should  never  see  his  wife  again  -  for  all  of  a  sudden  the 
boatmen    the   niggers  you   know,  as  naked   as  nn-  hand, 
took  and   seized   her  in  their  arn.s  and  jumped   huo  the 
water  with  her.     juell  believed  he  VI  seen  the  last  of  her  • 
for  you   know,  she's   uncommonly  plump  and  appeti/.ing,' 
^^^\    he    thought    no   doubt    they    were    cannibals,    the^L 
fellows. 

'•  Then  a  great  many  of  you  are  married  ?  "  \  said. 

"Oh  yes,  we've  almost  all  got  some  one  to  leave  be- 
h.nd,    answered  Hendrikscn.     "  Amundsen  heads  the  list 
he  dc,es,  for  he  has  Hve  or  six  chiklren  ;  then   Nordal  has 
fivcWuell  and  I  have  four  api.re,  and  then -let  me  see 
—  1  etterson  has  two  I  think,  and '' 


.ill 


lf(-\  — ' 


228 


NANSEN  IN  THE    FROZEN   WORLD 


W 


■'  \ 


I  % 


I 


"  And  Nanscn  and  I  have  one  apiece,"  added  the  mate. 
My  thoughts  flew  back  to  h'ttle  Liv,  and  I  turned  my 
head  and  saw  him  still  sitting  up  there  upon  ihe  bridge, 
busy  with  his  painting,  as  though  he  had  never  in  his  hfe 
done  anything  else.  He  had  taken  off  his  caj)  in  order 
to  see  better,  and  was  shading  the  j^icture  with  his  arm 
or  looking  through  the  hollow  of  his  hand  to  get  a  con- 
centrated impression  of  the  color.  His  bust  stood  out 
boldly,  the  massive  head  with  the  short-(li])ped  hair  show- 
ing in  sharp  outline  against  the  indescribably  pure  and 
clear  colors  of  the  evening  sky.  Were  his  thoughts  bent 
on  his  distant  goal,  or  were  they  at  home  with  little  Liv 
in  l-.er  cradle } 

The  evening  air  began  to  grow  chill,  so  1  rose  to  go 
below  and  get  hold  of  my  greatcoat.  As  before  men- 
tioned, it  was  no  easy  matter  to  make  your  wav  about  on 
the  deck  of  the  J'rani ;  so  I  remarked  jokingly,  "One 
would  need  either  four  legs  or  a  pair  of  wings  to  ""et 
about  among  all  this  litter." 

"  You  should  do  as  Johansen  did,"  answered  the  mate. 
"  He  walked  on  his  hands  the  other  day  up  the  steps  from 
the  foc'slc,  across  the  whole  of  the  forward  deck,  up  the 
steps  to  the  after  deck,  and  down  the  comj)ani()n  into  the 
cabin:  and  I'm  1  .'thered  if  he  was  even  red  in  the  face 
when  he  jnit  his  feet  down  again  u])on  the  floor  of  the 
saloon." 

"Oh,  that's  nothing  for  Jt)hansen,  he 's  the  first  gym- 
'■  u  in  Norway,"  remarked  Cijertsen.  "  \w  Paris,  he 
made  a  clean  somersault  over  forty-two  men,  so  that  the 
Frenchmen  thought  there  would  be  nothing  but  a  wet 
spot  left  when  he  came  down.  Hut  he  fell  on  his  feet, 
as  right  as  |)ossible.     He  got  a  gold  medal  for  that,  too  ! " 


W 


lie  mate, 
rned  mv 
e  bridge, 
n  his  life 
in  order 
his  arm 
't  a  con- 
:ood  out 
lir  sliow- 
11  re  and 
Its  bent 
ittle  Liv 

e  to  go 
re  men- 
.lx)ut  on 
,  "One 
i   to  get 

e  mate. 
'l)s  from 
up  tlie 
nto  the 
the  face 
r  of  tlie 

■X  gym- 
iris,  he 
hat  the 
:  a  wet 
lis  feet, 
too!" 


ON  BOARD   THE  "  FRAM  " 

229 

"  Amundsen  is  not  bnd  at  that  sort  of  thin-r  either  vn„ 
now  \  -hat  do  yon  think  he  did  the  other"  .^  do w,  " 
Korv,fc,  uh.le  we  were  loading  all  that  beastly  coal  >  He 
was  up  „,  the  maintop  and  wanted  to  come  down  'to  the 
c  eek  forward.  Con.ound  me  if  he  did  n't  slide  down  I  e 
stay  from  the  n,ain-top  to  the  fore-top.  holding  on  by 
hands  alone  all  the  way!  There  isn't  nnnth 
boird  r,„,i,i  I  1         .      '"^'<=  IS  nt  another  man  on 

boa.d  con  d  have  done  ,t ;  but  Amundsen's  fists  are  as 
hard    as  shoe    leather,  and    no   n,istake.      And    th  "  o 
«.urse,  ,,e  s  a  bit  lighter  than  ,  am,  for  example,"  .' [ 

as  tell  ?'",'"  "n"'''"  ''*"  "^  '''^^'^^  ''''*''•  '™de  my  way 
asuel    as  I  could  over  the  obstacles  that  bestrewed  thi 

"l>.ch  several  powder-casks  were  piled  up  dryin.  LkI 
down  the  cabn,  companion -a  journey  wWch  ifit  d  d 
notre,un.eag3™nastof  the  first  rank.Ls  cerilly  n  t 
to  be  >ecommendecl  to  a  gouty  subject  or  a  fat  „,a„ 

The  cabn,  steps  went  right  past  the  galley,  where  Juell 

uas   at  tnat  moment  c]pf^i^  in    u: .        v  ' 

\  ^  .  ^""-'n  acep  in    his    culinary  occuoations: 

■A    empen,g  sn,ell  of  cooking  greeted  myLs.ri  cu' 

looked  n,  for  a  monrent  to  warm  myself  1  little  and  W 

Juoll  stood  in  his  shirt-sleeves  busy  at  his  work    the 

mustaches  d,oopn,g  hke  a  bridle  fron,  the  corners  of  hil 

"  ^'"^'^  '"'fl  "arm  here,  Juell,"  said  I 

;■  Warm  !  1  should  think  it  was  !  When  all  the  pots  arc 
bo,hng  for  dn,ner  I  believe  the  devil  hin,self  won  d  n" 
h.s  nose  ,f  he  poked  it  in  here.  It 's  the  hardest  job  '™ 
ever  had  n,  my  life.     I  've  made  many  a  voyag  t  my 


"'       i 


^■?ni< 


230 


NAA'SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


i   K 


day,  but  this  is  the  first  time  I  've  shipped  as  cook,  and  if 
I  come  safe  and  sound  back  again,  it  shall  be  the  last 
time  !  Take  my  advice,  Professor,  and  never  be  a  cook, 
whatever  you  are." 

"  No,  no,  Juell  —  we  can't  all  be  tailors,  you  know.     I 
^^^,  don't  suppose  I  'm  in 

much  danger  of  re- 
ceiving an  appoint- 
ment as  chef.  But 
when  you  coinc  home 
again,  Juell,  I  hope  I 
shall  be  able  to  sfive 
you  a  dinner  and  say 
iak  for  sidst}  and 
thank  you  for  all 
the  good  dinners  on 
board  the  Framr 

"  Thanks    for    the 

invitation,"  answered 

Juell.     "  But  it  w^on't  be  for  some  time  yet,  I  'm  afraid.     If 

only  Peik  here  will  hold  out  till  we  come  back,  I  dare  say 

it  won't  be  such  a  bad  trip  after  all." 

'  Peik  "  was  the  popular  name  for  an  insulated  cooking- 
apparatus,  of  Finne's  invention,  a  great  contrivance  which 
held  the  warmth  very  long.  Nansen  took  a  lively  interest 
in  it,  and  several  times,  while  I  was  on  board,  assisted  at 
the  cooking  of  the  dinner,  in  order  to  familiarize  himself 
with  the  working  of  Peik.  And  Peik  cooked  many  excel- 
lent things.  The  fare  on  board  the  Fram,  in  sjjitc  of  Juell's 
apologies  for  his  deficiencies  as  a  culinary  artist,  was  really 
capital  and  not  at  all  monotonous.     The  menu  generally 

'  "  Thanks  for  our  last  meeting  "  —  a  common  form  of  salutation. 


Kl  rciIKN    OK   TIIE    "  KKA.M 


ON  BOARD   THE  "  FRAM"  ^j, 

consisted  of  soup  or  fish,  and  a  dish  of  meat,  with  half  a 
bottle  of  beer  a  head,  so  long  as  the  beer  lasted.      I  re- 
member, for  instance,  that  the  first  dinner  I  ate  on  board 
consisted  of  tinned  fish-puddings  from  Stavanger,  tinned 
rabbit  from  Australia,  and  wild  ducks  which  Nansen  had 
shot  on  the  way.     A  great   .-nriety  of  German  preserved 
vegetables  were  used  in   the  soups,  and  A.nerican  cran- 
berry jam  was  often  served  with  the  meat.    The  provision- 
ing of  the  ship,  like  all  the  rest  of  its  equipment,  was  most 
carefu  ly  thought  out  in  all  its  details.     There  was  a  par- 
ticularly large  supply  of  vegetables  and  of  fatty  matter 
so  that,  so  long  as  it  stuck  to  the  Fram,  the  expedition 
should   not  suffer  from  ••  fat-hunger,"  as  the   Greenland 
explorers  had  suffered.     There  w-ere  no  less  than  ,3,000 
bs    of  butter  on  board,  one  third  of  it  the  best  Danish 
bu   or,  and  the  rest  superfine  margarine,  a  present  from 
Pellenn  &  Co.    While  I  was  on  board  we  ate  nothing  but 
this  margarine ;  it  was  of  such  excellent  qualitv  that  I  do 
no   think  any  one  would  have  taken  it  for  artificial  butter 
unless  he  had  been  told. 

On  the  whole,  the  ship  was  Lavishly  provisioned  ;  you 
could  scarcely  name  a  thing  that  was  not  in  stock,  and 
generally  in  considerable  quantities.  One  thing,  however 
was  entirely  absent,  and  that  was  alcohol -for  drink^ 
.ng,  that  is  to  say.  The  spirits  for  preserving  ".speci- 
mens would  scarcely  come  under  the  heading  of  com- 
missariat. ° 

A  passing  steamer  in  Trondhjem  Fjord  had  thrown  us  a 
bottle  of  port  wine,  bidding  us  drink  it  at  the  North  Pole 
Ih.s  was-with   the  exception  of  the  b         which  was 
ca  culated  to  last  for  a  couple  of  months -all  the  drink- 
able alcohol  on  Doard.     "  You  must  lay  in  one  or  two 


i 


MiJ  'ir 


■i 
ill 


232  yv:^iV5^.V  AV  Ti^A'  FROZEN   WORLD 

bottles  of  champagne  in  Tromso,  Nansen,"  I  said  one  day 
in  a  joke,  "  to  drink  a  skaal  for  Gamle  Norge,  when  you 
hoist  your  flag  on  the  axis  of  the  earth."  "  I  was  think- 
ing of  smuggHng  on  board  one  or  two  bottles  of  brandy 
for  Christmas  Eve,"  he  answered;  "but  you  need  n't  speak 
about  it  to  the  men."  The  doctor  afterwards  swore  me 
to  secrecy,  and  told  me  that  he,  too,  intended  to  smuggle 
a  bottle  or  so  on  board  at  Tromso. 

I  can  see  in  my  mind's  eye  the  saloon  on  Christmas 
Eve,  with  the  steaming  toddy  on  the  table.  If  I  know 
Nansen  aright,  the  dose  for  each  man  will  be  of  the 
homoeopathic  order.  How  clearly  it  stands  forth  in  my 
memory,  that  cosey  little  low-roofed  cabin,  with  the  small 
state-rooms  around  it ! 

"  Saloon  "  is  a  misleading  word  to  use.  The  Fratns 
saloon  was  little  more  than  a  cot.  But  the  thought  of  the 
high  endeavor  to  which  it  was  dedicated  made  it  seem 
loftier  and  more  spacious  than  the  most  majestic  hall.  In 
itself,  too,  it  was  a  cosey  little  retreat,  exceedingly  pleasant 
to  creep  down  into  when  it  was  too  raw  and  cold  and  wet 
to  remain  on  deck. 

On  the  front  wall  of  the  saloon,  between  the  two 
entrance  doors,  was  placed  a  long  sofa  with  high  end- 
posts  carved  into  dragons'  heads.  It  was  covered  with  a 
heavy  rug  of  bright  Norwegian  colors.  In  front  of  it 
stood  the  long  narrow  dining-table ;  by  making  ourselves 
as  small  as  possible,  we  could  all  (except  those  on  watch) 
sit  down  to  it  at  once.  The  table-service  was  the  same 
for  all  dishes ;  an  enamelled  tin  plate  and  a  big  enamelled 
cup. 

Over  the  middle  of  the  sofa  hung,  in  a  frame,  an  ad- 


■   f 


i  I; 


OJV  BOARD   THE   "  FRAW 

vJv5 

mimbly  painted  design  for  tapestry,  by  Gerhard  Miinthe 
representing  three  fairy-tale  princesses  surprised  by  three 
prnices  transformed  into  bears.  To  the  left  of  this  little 
masterpiece  hung  a  woodland  scene  by  Eilif  Peterssen 
and  on  the  right  a  delicate  sketch  in  colored  chalks  by 
Skredsvig,   representing    the  point  and   landing-sta-e  at 


SALOON   ON   THE   " FRAM  " 

Nansen's  home  at  Lysaker,  with,  under  it,  a  study  from 
Jtederen  by  Kitty  Kielland. 

Against  the  right  hand  wall  stood  an  harmonium  made 
by  Nystrom  &  Co.,  of  Karlstad.     It  was  arranged  so  that 
It  could  be  played  either  by  means  of   the  keys  like  a 
piano,  or  with  a  handle,  like  a  barrel-organ,  the  tune  beinc 
determnied  by  a  strip  of  perforated  paper.     Its  repertor; 
consisted  of  over  a  hundred  pieces,  from  the  minuet  in 
Von  Giovanni  and  airs  from  Der  Freischuiz,  down  to  the 
commonest  dance  tunes.     As  an  institution,  however,  it 
did  not  seem  to  be  particularly  popular ;  at  anv  rate  there 
was  a  unanimous  movement  on  board  for  buyin<r  a  con- 
certina in  Tromsb,  and  great  expectations  were  abroad  as 


i 
J.' 


I 


I     \  . 


'"'ia 


234 


NANSEiV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


to  what  Mogstad  would  do  with  his  vioHn  when  he  joined 
the  ship. 

Over  the  harmonium  hung  a  picture  by  Hansteen,  and 
between  the  door  of  Scott  Hansen's  comfortable  and  taste- 
fully arranged  cabin  and  the  back  wall  of  the  saloon  hung 
a  little  woodland  sketch,  also  by  Hansteen  ;  while  over  the 
stove  (a  petroleum  pipe-stove  made  by  Blunck,  which 
served  at  the  same  time  as  a  ventilating  apparatus),  in  the 
middle  ■  the  back  wall,  hung  a  third  painting,  a  stu  y  of 
birch-stv    .s,  by  the  same  artist. 

On  the  left  wall,  between  the  entrance  to  Dr.  Blessing's 
and  Sverdrup's  cabins,  was  fixed  a  stand  with  seven  Krag- 
Jorgensen  carbines.  These,  however,  were  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  ship's  armament,  which  consisted  in  all  of 
no  fewer  than  thirty-two  rifles  and  twenty-four  revolvers, 
all  of  the  best  quality,  to  say  nothing  of  two  cannons,  and 
a  great  store  of  ammunition. 

Above  the  stand  of  guns  hung  another  charming  pic- 
ture by  Skredsvig  —  the  fir-trees  in  front  of  Nansen's 
house,  a  winter  landscape  with  snow. 

A  little  way  from  the  table,  the  great  mast  divided  the 
saloon  into  two  parts.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  quite  nar- 
row upholstered  seat,  v/hich,  however,  was  seldom  used. 
Loose  ^tools  were  scattered  about  the  cabin. 

Light  was  supplied  at  night  by  several  incandescent 
electric  lamps  over  the  sofa.  The  great  arc  lamp  was  not 
used  while  I  was  on  board. 

One  other  detail  must  not  be  omitted :  the  Norwoeian 
lion  on  a  red  background  in  the  skylight  over  the  stove. 

Such  was  the  saloon  of  the  Fram.  The  roof  was  so  low 
that  Gjertsen,  Hendriksen,  and  Juell  could  touch  it  with 
their  hats,  and  so  narrow  that  at  scarcely  any  part  of  it 


ON  BOARD   THE   "  FRAM" 

couK'  two  couple?  pass  each  ot^cT  without  t'rYr'n£  s  de- 
ways.  °    " 

How  every  little  detail  between  these  low  .alls  has  fixed 

Itself  .n  my  memory,  from  the  half-frightenea,  hai.-curious 

expression  on   the  faces  of    Munthe's  princesses,  to  the 

check  rug  on  the  sofa  seat,  which,  however,  Nansen  used  to 

turn  wrong  side  up  every  day,  for  h.e  found  that  the  many 

pairs  of  coal-dusty  and  tarry  trousers  left  too  o  .v.o>is   r^ces 

on  the  pattern,  and  were  already  beginning  i    sof-  n  the 

gay  colors  rather  too  much.    "  It  s  got  to  last  tih  we  come 

back  again,"  said  Nansen,  "  so  we  musc  be  sparing  of  our 

splendors."  * 

In  the  saloon  I  found  ^^^  supper-table  still  spread,  al- 
hough  It  was  already  pretty  late.  The  engineers  who 
had  been  on  duty  had  come  up  to  have  supper  and  draw 
a  breath  of  fresh  air,  which  rhey  had  w^ell  earned;  for  the 
stoke-hole  of  the  F.am,  a  paradise  no  doubt  in  the  polar 
winter  so  long  as  the  coal  lasts,  must  in  these  more  south- 
erly latitudes  and  in  summer  have  seemed  very  much  the 
reverse. 

There  they  sat,  then,  the  tno  .r^^letes  aforesaid,  Enri- 
neer  Amundsen  and  Lieuten  •  :  ar^  Stok-.  Johanscn 
enjoy,,^^  their  rest  and  their  .suppe^  Presently  in  eame' 
Scott  Hansen  and  Dr.  Blessing,  and  we  got  a  warm  cup 
of  tea  horn  the  steward  and  attacked  the  supper  manfully 
—  I,  mdecd,  for  the  second  time. 

.'knew  that  I  should  probably  eat  only  one  more  supper 
on  board  the  Fram,  and  recollections  streamed  in  upon 
nie  of  my  days  on  board,  wi.ich  had  passed  so  quickly 
along  with  many  a  thought  of  the  days  that  were  as  ye, 
hidden  ,n  the  mists  of  the  future.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
supper  and  the  talk  went  on  as  usual,  Juell  going  back- 


i 


II 


i 


I  i 
!  i 


"■  :'  I 


'iili 


I 

■ 


III 


236  JVAJVS£JV  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 

ward  and  forward  and  assisting  in  both.      The  talk  ran 
on  all  sorts  of  topics,  but  of  course  chiefly  on  the  Fratn 
and  everything  connected  with  her.     Now  the  petroleum 
launch  was  the  theme  —  one  held  that  it  was  a  wretched 
affair  altogether,  that  it  was  quite  impossible  to  keep  it 
clean,  and  that  after  you  had  used  it  once,  it  took  half  a 
day  to  make  it  fit  for  use  again,  while  another  defended 
It  and  maintained  that,  with  its  great  speed,  it  would  be 
mvaluable  for  reconnaissances,  etc.     Then  some  one  de- 
scribed what  a  sharp  look-out  you  had  to  keep  among  the 
open  lanes  in  the  ice,  how  it  felt  to  get  into  an  Arctic^ fo^r, 
and  so  forth.  ^' 

I  was  to  take  no  part  in  all  this,  so  felt  myself  rather 
outside  the  conversation.  I  turned  to  the  doctor  and 
said,  "  Tak  for  vtadcn}  doctor.  It  will  probably  be  a  long 
time  before  you  and  I  have  supper  together  again  on 
board  the  Fram!' 

"  Two  summers,  I  expect,"  said  the  doctor,  with  his 
usual  cheery  confidence. 

"  If  you  have  good  luck,  perhaps  you  '11  be  back  next 
autumn,"  said  I. 

"  That  would  be  the  devil's  own  luck,"  was  the  answer. 

"  No  luck  at  all,"  Amundsen  put  in.  "  If  anything 
worth  while  is  10  come  of  th:  trip,  we  must  be  away  two 
years  at  the  very  least." 

A  hearty  burst  of  laughter  greeted  Amundsen's  frank 
prognostication.  His  view  of  the  matter  was  undeniably 
both  a  stoical  and  a  practical  one. 

After  supper  I  went  into  my  cabin  to  rest  a  little  and 
get  out  my  overcoat  before  going  on  deck  again.  Nan- 
sen   had  given   up    his   own    cabin  to   me,  and   slept  in 

»  "  Thanks  for  t!,c  food  !  "_u  formula  always  used  at  the  end  of  a  meal. 


i 


ON  BOAJiD   THE  "FMAU"  ,„ 

the  deck-house  while  I  was  on  board.     The  door  to  his 
cabin  was  on  the  rmU   „.on  (  _,  ■      • 

h-l-„  ,11  ,.      ,  •  *    '  forward  in  Ine  saloon,  and 

l.ke  a  1  the  doors  m  the  Fran,,  was  immenselj-  solid  wi^, 
a  high  t  reshold.     None  of  the  cabins  had  any  sort  o 
vmdow  (the  sides  of  the  ship  were  t.enty-four  inehe 

Stt : '" "  f™''  ''^  *^^-^ "-'  -■>' — o 

ventilation  was  a  couole  n^  ii  u  i       •     ,i       , 

Tf  „,,.    r  V^       °       ■'"^'  "o^cs  in  the  door   tself 

lZt-rTr''\  ^'^'•'^- '-■  ""'-  the  ineandescen; 
lamp    with  which  each  cabin  was  provided,  were  hghted. 
When  you  entered  the  cabin  and  turned  the  knob  for 


NAN.SEN'.S   STIDY    ON    TUF.   "l-RA'.i." 


the  clectnc  hght,  the  first  thing  it  shone  upon  was  an  ad- 
mil-able  drawing  by  Werenskjold  :  "  Eva  with  little  \.\.  in 

HT  ap  I-l„,s  all  that  was  dearest  in  ,1,,,  «„,|d  con- 
fmntcd  him  the  mumen,  he  put  his  head  in  at  the  cabjn 
door.     I  w,.||  remember  one.  morning  when  ho  eauie  to 

etch  something  before  I  had  got  up.  He  turned  tlu-  but- 
ton  while  still  in  the  doorway  and  began  to  chat  wil 


h 
li 


i'    , 


i 


ith 


nic 


ir 


»  i 


Mi  r'4   =s 

II  III  M 
If  f '*  ^' 


I    •       !      tij 


238  JVAJVSEA^  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

but  I  saw  where  his  eyes  fell,  and  where  his  thou'^hts 
were.  ^ 

_  Under  the  picture  was  a  bench,  a  sofa  by  day,  a  bed  by 
night.  Here  were  no  soft  spring  mattresses,  only  a  stuffed 
pallet  with  a  jjair  of  warm  blankets  and  a  single  very 
meagre  pillow.  But  how  sound  one  could  sleep'' on  this 
smiple  couch  —  that  is  to  say,  when  the  Fram  was  not 
roi.  .ig  so  as  to  land  one  on  the  floor  e^•ery  now  and  then. 
For  the  Fram  could  roll,  at  any  rate  before  the  caroo 
was  shifted  in  the  Na.'rosund.  ** 

Scott  Hansen  declared  that  she  had  described  an  angle 
of  forty-six   ('  grces   in  a  heavy  sea  off  Lister.     It  must 
have   been   an    uncomfortable   night;    the   whole  forward 
deck  was  deep  in  water,  so  that  the  deck  cargo  was  wash- 
ing about  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  at  last  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  throw  overboard  a  number  of  jjarafTin 
barrels.     I'ortunately   they   were  only   emi^ty    barrels   in- 
tended for  preserving  the  skins  of  hears,  seals,  walruses, 
and   other   game;    and    there    were   plenty  of   them   left! 
Even  while  I  was  on   board  the  Fram.  she  rolled  a  good 
deal  one  night,  although   it  was  not  blowing  particularly 
hard,  and  the  sea  did   not   run   very  high  —  indeed,  there 
was  only  a  long  swell,     in  crossing  the  Vestfjord,  on  the 
other  hand,  when  it  was  blowing  quite  fresh,  the  ship  was 
as  steady  as  a  rock  the  moment  she  was  under  full  sail. 
She  was,  indeed,  a  strange,  a  uni(|ue  vessel.     Sverdruj), 
vho,  as  a  rule,  said  little  enough,  could  not  help  now  and 
then  giving  exjjression  to   his  affectionate  surprise  in   a 
subdued  "  She  s  a  rare  little  cr.ift,  and  no  mistake  !  " 

Hut  to  return  to  Nansens  cabin.  On  one  side  of  the 
vn(\  wall  was  a  cupboard  containing  the  cash-box,  pai)er.s, 
diaries,  etc.,  the  key  of  which  was  in   Nansen's  ,^^^■n  keep- 


ON  BOARD   THE   ^^  FRAAr^ 

ing;  on  the  other  side,  near  the  head  of  the  bed  or  sofa 
was^a  bookcase  with  a  rich  selection  of  Hterature  of  many 
lands.     Numbers  of   books  had    been   presented   to  the 
/'ran^  by  Norwegian,  Swedish,  and  Danish  publishers  and 
others.      The  tolerably  extensive  library  thus  formed  was 
alvvays_  at  the  disposal  of  the  crew.     Besides,  the  doctor 
had    h,s    own    medical    library    in    his    cabin,    and    Scott 
Hansen  kept  a  collection  of  books,  mainly  meteorolocncal 
and  astronomical,  along  with  tlie  charts  in  the  chart-room. 
But  Nansen  had  picked  out  for  his  own  use  a  number  of 
books  which   he  kept  in  his  cabin.     They  were  for  the 
most  part,  of  course,  geographical,  geological,  zoological, 
and  other  scientific  works,  but  with  a  fair  sprinklimr  of 
.magmative  literature  and  philosophy.     Ibsen  and   Bj5rn- 
son,  Vmje,  Jonas   Lie,  Runeberg,  and  others  were  repre- 
sented, some  of  them  by  their  complete  works ;  and  here 
too  were  Tennyson,  Keats,  Byron,  iM-auenstedt  s  Schopen- 
hauer, etc.-m  short,  an  ample  stock  of  reading  even  for 
the  long  night  of  the  polar  winter. 

WMien   I  entered  on  my  short  occupation  of  the  cabin 
t  K.  greater  part  of  these  books  lay  in  a  chaos  on  the  floor' 
along  w,th  all  sorts  of  other  things;  so  I  took  it  upon  my- 
sel    to  arrange  them  according  to  subjects  in  the  bookcase, 
and    I  made  free  use  of  this  library  while  I  was  on  board 
1  h.s  evenmg,  for  instance,  when   I   lav  down  on  the  sofa 
after  supper,  I  opened  the  first  book  that  came  to  hand 
and  found  ,t  to  be  Nansen  s  "  Mow  can  the  North  Pola^ 
Rogu,n  be  Crossed  ?  "-containing  his  lecture  before  the 
Koyal  Geographical  Society,  and  all  the  objections  of  the 
celebrated   Pinglish    sailors.     It  was  the  first   fun.   I  had 
seen  ,t      It  made  a  peculiar  and  moving  impression  upon 
nic  as  I  read  it  here  in  Nansen's  own  cabin. 


240 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN    WORLD 


m 


!i;  8  M 


II: 


When  I  had  done,  I  felt  I  must  go  up  and  see  him. 
Until  that  moment  I  had  not  quite  grasped  and  realized 
the  significance  of  his  enterprise.  He  himself  was  always 
so  easy  and  unpretending,  and  on  board  the  Frain  every- 
thing took  its  daily  course  with  such  a  total  absence  of 
solemnity,  that  I  had,  as  it  were,  lost  the  sensation  of 
there  being  anything  unusual  in  this  voyage.  To  cross 
Greenland,  to  start  for  the  North  Pole,  to  go  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  seemed  no  more  to  these  men  than  a  trip 
down  Christiania  I^'jord  to  the  ordinary  mortal. 

I  could  hear  Juell's  quick  tongue,  in  the  saloon,  supply- 
ing a  running  commentary  to  one  of  the  doctor's  stories ; 
on  the  deck  some  one  was  rumbling  a  beer-barrel  along; 
the  i)iston  kept  up  its  regular  throb,  and  the  propeller  its 
vibration,  while  the  /';v^w  clove  its  way  foot  by  foot 
through  the  sea,  slowly  but  surely  —  as  though  driven  by 
some  natural  law  ever  onward  and  onward  toward  the 
unknown  <'oal. 

Nansen  had  lent  me  a  camel's-fur  jacket  while  I  was  on 
board;  it  was  so  cosey  and  warm  that  it  seemed  to  put  my 
skin  into  a  jjositive  glow  when  I  had  it  on.  Thank 
Heaven,  I  thought,  he  need  certainly  neither  starve  nor 
freeze  so  long  as  the  I'^rani  holds  touether. 

But  if  the  Fratu  should  be  crusiied,  as  one  of  the  Eng- 
lish admirals  prophesied.'' 

"  Then  we  '11  take  to  our  longboat,"  Nansen  had 
answered. 

'*  The  boats  are  too  big  and  heavy,"  another  admiral 
had  objected. 

"We  have  five  or  six  smaller  boats  with  us,"  was  Nan- 
sen's  reply,  "  and  if  the  worst  comes  to  tlic  worst,  we '11 
get  along  on  an  ice  Hoe ;  I  Ve  done  it  before." 


ON  BOARD   THE  "FSAM' 


M« 


Yes,  I  fe  t      must  see  him  and  express  my  affection 
or  h,m  m  the  httle  time  we  could  still  be  together      Up 
the  compamon,  past  the  steaming  galley,  out  into  the  free 
air  of  heaven  ! 


There  the  Fram  lay,  heaving  gently  in  the  full  c'ory  of 
the  summer  „,ght.     We  had  at  last  drawn  near  tht  peaks 
of  Han.mero,  so  that  we  could  see  their  green-clad  base. 
Before  us  stretched  all  the  mountains  of  the  mainland 
hose  neares   bathed  in  a  splendid  purple  glow,  while  far 
ther  ahead  they  passed  through  all  gradations  <^f  subdued 
color  from  tender  violet  to  deep  gray,  right  down  to  t  e 
edge  of  the  crisp  blue-black  sea. 

It  was  strangely  still.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen  on 
the  deck,  forward,  and  when  I  looked  aft,  to  the  south- 
ward,  I  saw  noth.ng  but  sky  and  sea.  The  solenm  silence 
of  the  summer  mght  took  such  hold  on  n,y  mind  tha. 
I  emamed  leaning  on  the  bulwarks  for  a  long  time 
watching  the  plash  of  the  waves  against  the  ships  side,' 
before  I  went  up  to  him.  ' 

There  sud<lenly  flashed  upon  me  the  recollection  of  a  lit- 
tle ragged  iirehin  whom  I  had  seen  a  few  days  before  on  the 
each  near  Irondhjem  while  I  was  waiting  for  the  Fral 
He  was  going  barefoot  in  the  sand,  dirty  and  unkempt 
but  beaming  with  health  and  contentment,  and  singing  a' 
the   op  o  his  voice.  "  Jeg  gaar  i  fare,  hvor  jeg  gaarf'  ■ 

I  lien  the  thought  of  my  own  confirmation  came  upon 
m     when  I  .sat  in  the  church  and  shouted  with  all  'the 

as  though  they  indeed  represented  the  wrath  of  the  Lord. 

'  "  1  tie  in  ,l,,„„er  wherever  1  go  ■■  -  ,he  firs,  |i„e  „t  a  l,ym„. 
i6  ' 


242 


NAASEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


l'^ 


, 

£ 

1 

. 

f 

\ 

Some  one  came  along  the  deck  whistling  a  merry  tune ; 
it  was  the  light-hearted  Petterson,  stripped  to  the  waist  in 
the  chill  evening  wind,  carrying  a  basin  and  a  towel  and 
preparing  to  wash  the  grime  of  the  engine-room  off  his 
face  and  body.  He  had  been  in  the  Polar  Sea  before,  on 
board  the  llcrtha,  so  that  he  was  at  home  in  these  waters. 
What  a  splendidly  modelled  back!  How  fine  the  play  ot 
the  muscles  in  his  arms!  Yes,  indeed,  such  frames  as 
this  seemed  built  for  a  tussle  with  the  darkness  and  the 
fog  and  the  cold  and  the  ice.  His  whole  personality  was 
set  to  a  very  different  air  from  that  which  was  running  in 
my  head.     Every  line  of  it  seemed  to  sing  :  — 

"  \';cr  glad  naar  faren  veier 
livur  cvnc,  som  dii  eiei!  "  * 

and  from  all  his  comrades  around,  from  the  man  who 
stood  at  the  helm,  from  those  who  were  stokiivj  the 
furnace,  from  all  who  now  lay  sleei)ing  in  their  bunks, 
it  seemed  as  though  the  third  line  came  chiming  in  tri- 
umphantly: — 

"  Og  desto  stdrrc  scicr  ! "'  - 

I  could  delay  no  longer,  I  must  go  up  to  Nansen.  I 
clambered  over  boxes  and  boards,  wormed  my  way  be- 
tween barrels  and  stacks  of  dried  fish,  and  finally,  in 
spite  oi  all  obstacles,  managed  to  haul  myself  up  on  the 
bridge. 

There  he  still  sat  in  his  thin  silk  waterproof,  as  he  had 
sat  hour  after  hour,  defying  the  wind.  When  he  saw  me 
he  rose  and  nodded,  and  said,  as  though  apologizing  for 
having  been  so  absorbed  in  his  painting :  — 

"  I  Ve   just    finished  !  "      And    then,    without    a    pause, 

'  "  Ri'joi,  o  wlien  danjror  puts  In  llic  list  every  faculty  you  possess.'' 
'^  "  And  so  much  urcatcr  the  victory." 


ON  BOARD   rm   ''FKAM" 

"Have   you   ever   seen   such  a  lovely  evening?     We're 
lucky  ,n  our  weather,  a,id  no  mistake" 

"  It  -s  a  beautiful  country,  this  of  ours,"  f  said  "  You 
mt.s  n,ake  haste  and  conK.  home,  and  have  a  het'ter  Lk 
at  ,t  I  -  And  now  let  me  see  your  works  of  art." 

''••'ve  a  whole    bundle  here,"  he  answered      "Yon 
shall  have  the  lot  of  them  to  take  to  Eva  " 
Ah,  yes  -  that  was  why  he  had  been  so  busy, 
i  ve  been  down  below,  readins;,"  f  went  on  '■  n,,,!  T      . 
hold  of  that  Knglish  pamphlet  of  your,::     \„  "  ,  n'ol 
your  expedition.     You  did  n't  ,r,.f  ,„     i  ^ 

out  of  them,  in  London."  '        ""''  ™-"-S-'->t 

"Oh,   they  didn't   treat    me   n<-   oil   i     u 
;^nye.y  anything  to  ;L:a:r^i7r/ 

.ot  e.,,.,,,  we  can  .^iij  ^^^        T^  ~,i^ 

J^:  '"•■  '^'"■^'^''  "P  '^'-^  P-'-'i-S  things,  and  we  went 

Two  days  later,  on  the  even  in  (r  nf   r,,i 
at  Tronisn      If  i     i      •      ,  ^^"'"^^  "^  Ji''y  12,  vve  parted 


244 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


if;.... 


tM 


t 


!     II 


I 


11  i 
1^    I 


Nansen  and  I  had  been  afoot  all  day  making  purchases. 
Moreover,  we  had  been  studying  geology  in  Tromso  Mu- 
seum, had  had  a  glass  of  wine  at  Mack's,  and  had,  for  the 
rest,  put  in  our  time  usefully  and  agreeably. 

I  had  betn  aboard  the  Fram  in  the  afternoon  to  say 


COLIN    AKCHKR,   THK    lUIII.DKK   OK  THK    "  FKAM  " 

good-by,  and  had  poked  my  nose  into  every  hole  and 
corner  to  fix  my  impressions  firmly  in  my  memory.  On 
board  I  found  Mogstad,  who  had  now  joined  the  ship,  and 
was  to  replace  Gjertsen  and  Christiansen.  He  impressed 
me  as  a  fine,  active,  fearless  fellow,  and  was  doubtless  a 
valuable  addition  to  the  crew. 


ON  BOAJiD   7 HE   ^^  FRAM" 

of  the  no.ct!:^^-::;^rtT'^^'''r'^"'^^ 

to  his  wife      He  h-^l  ,,  promised  to  take 

No.e.,o.i.;rLS  IT,  :r ::,  -  :rr :' 

great  pity  t'o  lo;e  It  i  "J    rs  JIm '^'^  '  ^-'^  '^  "^ 
we  shoult,  have  to  leave  thej Jri'T..^^^'"^'  ^  '"' 

-"^:i^;:f;:airir^^^^^^^ 

worn-out  pair  of  boots  °™''''°''"'  '-^'-  » 

said.''"'  ""^'  "^  ^"'  '^"■"S  '■-  ^-»  home  with  you,"  I 

we''SraSi:::r;~'--;'^evesse,u„ti, 
so  bad  that  we  could  ntl;         "  '^  "^'  "^'^  "'S"^'  ^e 

be  annoyin.  to  In    '  to  f  T'^*' '"'"''  "^™  ''  "-« 

-y  ""  .'°  '"vc  to  lose  more  than  necessarv  " 
That  evenmg  Nanson  •,„.!  c       i        '•'•'-''■^'^ry. 

on  board  the  ffJ^Z  '      ,   T      "''  •''^^°"'P--'"ied  me 

way  of  stirrup  cui'    "  '  '""■'  °'  '°'  '°^^^  "^^ 

wife/iirbicrr  ■•"'  '"'"'■'^- "  ^^ '°-  *°  y°- 

all  at  home !  "  ''  *-""'  "'>' '"™  ^"  ^va  and  Liv  and 

"  1  ronifse  me  vnn  'ii  f-,? 
too   reckless4,Kl    a  s  T  "  ^'^''-'f' -^  -t  be 

-en.s,i,h;-;::;~:rc^izt 


f 


I  ji 


I 


" «-:  ■!KaS-..."'-J,r.^-?j^.^ 


IM 


246  NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

melt  into  one  behind  the  veil  of  snow,  thick  as  in  mid- 
winter, which    is   sweeping  over   the   sound.      One   last 
glimpse  of  the  Fram  through  the  mist,  and  all  is  over. 
When  shall  I  see  him  again .? 


;i  ■ 


TllK    "IKAM"    I.KAVING    liKKUEN,    NORWAY,    KUR   THi.;   ARCTIC 


REGIONS 


a,  \  ^ 


in  mid- 
ne  last 
ver. 


i      hi 


NANSEN'S    STORY 

AS   TOLD   UY  HIMSELF 


It 


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X 


CHAPTER  XIII 

INTRODUCTION 

As  soon  as  ever  I  hefnn  f.^  fU-  i     i 
it  struck  me  tint  tl  e  !f  •*"'' Arctic  enterprise 

ha.s  been  ,i,e  ^r  n   hi ,  "";.'-"  ^'•''^"'"S  f™'"  ""^  ''-'h 

and  often  cr!,.:!    ^^S^nj^';'-^^  ^'^'>''-''  ''-  »'"PS 
-an.s  „.  dog,  ,,„  .r;:;;^,":    ,-  ■;- -f  Progress  by 

curred  to  me,  however  thit  H        "  '  '"''^-     ''  °'=- 

wi>ich  the  interior  of  i,::^      X:'""^'  be  other  ways  by 

-•-bed,andit  is  n,any;::r,    tri' rf'"  '''"''''  '^ 
plan  of  the  voya.^e  we  have  1,  "'  <^™<='='"-<i  the 

think  of  this  Han      .r^"''"'""  "  ™''"^"  '«!  n,e  „,  ,884  to 

east  of  th-:    New  Sib,..,-,      ,  ,      ,  ""^  '*-'''  ""rth- 

-nt  clown,  in      vi    "     t"     ••^;'""  "'^  ^^""-'^ 
Sea  north  of  Franl  Z    ,      '   T"  ""^''  ^""'^  "^<=  ''"I" 

obiectsfronraslllet  ir;ir'::-tf-''-'-f 
go  the  san,e  route,  provided  si  e  I  V  ''  '"'  '"'«'' 
^vthstand  thepressu,Lf  theice  "^  ''"""°''    '° 

I  then  began  to  study  these  seas     -...^f  n 
-y  attention  especiahy\o  the  ::a,;:'t'5;--- 


ii 


I   ■    '(^ 


m 


!l 


25° 


IVANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


i 


i 


I 


more   I  studied  the  subject,  the  more  proofs  I  obtained 
of   a  constant  communication  between  the  sea  north    of 
Siberia  and  that  on  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  and  I 
was  fully  convinced    that   there   was  a  constant  drift  or 
drift  current  which  carried  the  drift  ice  in  a  fixed  course 
right  across  the  sea  around  the  North  Pole  from  the  Si 
berian  and  Bering  Strait  side,  out   into   the  sea  between 
Spitzbergen  and  Greenland.     And  so  certain  was  my  con- 
viction of  th(>  rorrectness  of  this  theory,  that  I  was  equally 
certain  that  an  expedition  which,  with  a  specially  adapted 
vessel,  pushed  into  the  ice  and  allowed  itself  tobe  fro/en 
in  at  the  right  spot  on  the  Siberian  side,  must  necessarily 
driit   the  same  way,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  lift,  to  some 
extent,  the  veil  which  is  drawn  across  these  regions      In 
my  lecture  delivered  before  the  Ro3'al  Geograj^hical  So- 
ciety in  November,  1892,  and  published  in  the  "Geo-mpb. 
ical  Journal"  for  ,896,  I  unfolded  my  plan  and  the^iews 
upon  which  it  was  based. 

The  proofs  upon  which    I  chiefly  based  my  theory  of  a 
drift  across  the  Polar  Sea  were,  as  before  mentioned:  — 

(1)  'Fhe  continual  conveyance  of  Siberian  drift  wood  to 
the  Greenland  coast. 

(2)  The  finomg  on  the  coast  of  Greenland  of  a  throw- 
ing-stick  (an  I^skimo  implement),  of  which  it  might  with 
certainty  be  affirmed  that  it  came  from  Alaska  by  the 
Bering  Strait ;  and 

(3)  The  very  nature  of  the  ice  that  comes  drifting  south 
along  the  coast  of  Kast  (ireenland.  and  which  is  .(msider- 
ably  larger  and  more  massive  than  aii)'  drift  ice  we  know 
and  may  therefore  safely  be  said  to  haxe  drifted  a  lon.r 
tmie  m  the  sea  before  it  could  be  packed  together  and 
piled  up  to  form  such  enormous  masses. 


251 


INTRODUCTION 

One  proof  to  which  at   that  time  I  attached  consil 
erable  value,  and  which,  after  investigating  the  circum- 
stances  more  closely,  I  consider  to  be  of  still  greater  im- 
portance, was  that  all  over  the  ice  which  comes  driftin<. 
southward    along   the    east    coast    of    Greenland,    down 
hrough  the  strait  between  Iceland  and  Greenland,  I  found 
brown  dust  and  mud.     This,  I  concluded,  could  not  con,e 
rem  any  othe,-  place  than  Siberia.     During  my  Green- 
land  expedition  in  ,888,  howeve,,  I  collected  some  sam- 
ples of  th,s  dust  which  I  got  the  geologist  Fornebohn,  to 
exam„,e.      Without   knowing   n,y    views -simply   fro„, 
microscopical  examination  of  this  dust-  he  gave  it  as  his 
opnuon    that   it   had  probably  come   from  ^n  extensive 
alluvia  country,  and  therefore  considered  Siberia  to  be  its 
probable  source.     liesi<les  mineral  dust,  however,  he  found 
n  these  sr.mples  microscopical   plants,  which  are  known 

pies  to  1   ofessor  Cleve,  the  great  authority  on  the  sub- 

e    .     Cleve  now  found  a  striking  conformity  between  the 

I'atoms  u,  mj-  s.amples  and  those  in  a  sample  which  Ivul 

been  casually  gathered  during  the  Swe.lish    rje  pe! 

d.t,o„  on  a  Hoe  off  Cape  Wankarema,  in  the  lu-ighbor- 

lod  ..f  Bering  Strait.     These  diatom  samples  fr.™  two 

.1  ces    yuig  at   such    a  distance    from  one  another  are 

ly       feivnt  from  all  other  samples  hitherto  examine 

on,    dilfe,-en.   pa,-,s  of   ,he   worl.l.      M,,,,,,,,,,  |„„,,,„. 

tl'cT  .re  so  exactly  alike  that  Cleve  did  not 'hesitate    ,' 

exp.essi,,g  „  .,s  his  opinion  that  theie  must  be  an  open 

c.,n„„.,,,,ca„o„  between    the  se. rth  of    Bering  S.lait 

c     e  ,       '-""'''""'■     ">■  ""-H.-.ing  this  n,ore 

c lo  ely  dur„,g  the  expedition,  I  found  a  whole  world  of 
'I'atoms  and  other  microscopical  organisn.s,  both   ve..e- 


252 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


{  ; 


n 


\ 


•!l 


W 


table  and  animal,  living  in  the  fresh-water  pools  on  the 
polar  drift  ice,  and  constantly  travelling  from  Siberia  to 
the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  —  a  world  which  has  hitherto 
only  been  known  from  the  above-mentioned  samples,  but 
which,  perhaps,  no  one  dreamed  was  living  on  the  ice  in 
the  far  north  —  that  ice  which  was  thought  to  be  utterly 
forsaken  by  all  living  beings. 

After  having  brought  forward  in  my  lecture  the  various 
proofs  of  the  correctness  of  my  theories,  I  summed  up  in 
the  following  words:  — 

From  all  these  facts  we  seem  fully  entitled  to  draw  the 
conclusion  that  a  current  is  constantly  running  across 
the  polar  region  to  the  north  of  Franz  Josef  Land  from 
the  sea  north  of  Siberia  and  Bering  Strait,  and  into  the 
sea  between  Spitzbergcn  and  Greenland;  and  as  we  have 
seen,  the  floe  ice  is  constantly  travelling  with  this  current 
in  a  fixed  route  between  these  seas.  Since  such  is  the 
case,  the  most  natural  way  of  crossing  the  unknown  re(>-ion 
must  be  to  take  a  ticket  with  this  ice,  and  enter  the  cur- 
rent on  the  side  where  it  runs  northward  —  that  is,  some- 
where near  the  New  Siberian  Islands  — and  let  it  carry 
one  straight  across  those  latitudes  which  it  has  prevented 
so  many  from  reaching. 

As  was  emphasized  in  this  lecture,  it  was  not,  of  course, 
the  object  of  the  expedition  to  reach  the  North  Pole,  but 
to  go  right  across  the  unknown  polar  region  As  I  then 
said  ("  (;eograi)hiral  Journal,"  p.  20),  it  is  not  possible  to 
guarantee  exactly  over  what  point  the  current  will  take 
one.  "  It  may  be  possible,"  I  say,  "  iha  the  current  will 
not  carry  us  exactly  across  the  Pole,  but  the  principal 
thing  is  to  exjilore  the  unknown  polar  regions,  not  to 
reach  exactly  the  mathematical  point  in  which  the  axis 
of  our  globe  has  its  northern  termination." 


M 


flit 
W 

I 


II: 


1^- 


II 


I 


ii 


254 


NAA^SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


To  attain  this,  it  was  clear  to  me  that  there  were  only 
two  ways  of  proceeding ;  it  ^  -as  either  — 

(i)  To  build  a  strong  ship,  so  constructed  that  it  can 
withstand  the  pressure  of  the  ice,  and,  living  in  this  ship, 
to  float  across  with  the  ice  ;  or 

(2)  To  take  only  boats  along,  and  camp  on  an  ice  floe, 
and  live  there  while  floatine:  across. 

My  plan  was  especially  based  on  the  former  of  these 
two  ways,  but  also  in  such  a  manner  that  we  were  pre- 
pared to  take  the  second  way  in  case  our  ship  should  be 
overcome  by  the  superior  force  of  the  ice. 

In  order,  however,  that  this  slK)uld  not  happen,  I  gave 
all  my  care  to  the  building  of  a  ship  especially  fitted  for 
this  object,  and    I  was  fortunate  enough   to  find  in  the 
well-known  Norwegian  naval  architect,  Mr.  Colin  Archer, 
a  man  who  devoted  himself  with  all  the  skill  and  capabil- 
ity he  possessed  to  the  task  I  set  him.     Seldom,  if  ever, 
has  a  ship  been  built  with  more  care  or  greater  conscien- 
tiousness  than   that  with  which  Colin   Archer  built  the 
Fravi;  but   in    return  he  has  the  satisfaction  of  having 
produced  the   first  ship  that   has  ever  passed  the   Polar 
Circle.     The  Fram  fulfilled  jjerfectly,  down  to  the  small- 
est details,  the  requirements  which   I  put  upon  her.     It 
was  not  only  her  great  strength  and  the  picked  material 
of  which  she  was  built  which  enabled  her  to  go  through 
the  excejotionally   severe  ordeals  to  which  she  was  sub- 
jected, but  !t  was  also  the  unusually  good  shape,  and  the 
numerous  ingenious  means  by  which  all  dangerous  jjoints 
were  protected,  and  which  were  due  in  a  great  measure  to 
Colin  Archer's  insight     It  is  therefore  to  a  great  extent 
owing  to  him,  through  the  good  ship,  that  the  whole  expe- 
dition, which  it  was  prophesied  in  advance  would  be  the 


INTRODUCTION 
hardest  and  most  dangerous  that  man  had  ever  vet  ven- 
tured  upon,  was  a  real  pleasure  or  holiday  trip,  durinsr 
wh,ch  we  led   so  comfortable  a  life  that  L  could  bf 
more  comfortable,  even  in  Old  England 

VVhen  I  delivered  n,y  lecture  to  the  Royal  Geographi- 
cal Soccty,  many  of   the  great  Arctic  authorities  who 
were  present  as  n,y  true  friends,  and  anxious  about  the 
safety  of  my  con.panions  and  myself,  strongly  dissuaded 
me  fron,  the  atten.pt.     A  few  of  them  went  so  far  as  to 
say  that  the  whole  plan  was  founded  on  theories  which 
were  far   from  agreeing  with    the  actual  circumstances- 
and  the  general  opinion,  both  in  England  and  elsewhere' 
was  that  ether  the  expedition  would  never  be  heard  of 
agau,,  after  havn,g  once  confided  itself  to  the  capricious 
po  ar   ,ce,  or   it  would   return  without   results ;   and   all 
autho„t,es  seemed  to  agree  that  it  was  an  utter  i.npossi- 
M.ty  for  ash,p  to  withstand  the  ice-pack  in  the  unknown 

oral  A.  W    Greely,  thought   it  "almost   incredible    (l,at 
the  plan  advanced  by  Dr.  Nansen  should  receive  encour- 
agen,ent  or  support,"  and  he  concludes  his  article  in  the 
K,rnm    w,th  the  following  words:  ■■  Arctic  exploration  is 
sufllcently  credited  with  rashness  and  danger  in  its  leirit- 
.mate  and  sanctioned  methods,  without  bearing  the  bur- 
den  of  Dr.  Nansens  illogical  schen,e  of  self-desiruction  " 
I  his,  of  course,  could  not  shake  my  faith  in  the  correct- 
ness of  my  plan.     The  Norwegian  Storthing  ha<l  already 
as  soon  as   I  put  forward  a  petition,  voted   the  sum   1 
required  for  ,ts  realization,  while  there  was  no  diffieullv 
m  obtammg  from  private    individuals    in    Norway  what 
more   wa.s    required    for    the    expedition.      Ha^■ing,   on 
accotmt  of  the  expensive  construction  of  the  ship  etc 


256 


ii 


I  'I  j 


i  ! 


^rJ^rs£^r  in  the  frozen  world 


run  short  of  funds  just  bdcre  starting,  I  had  to  ask  the 
Norwegian  Storthing  for  an  extra  grant,  which  was  again 
given  with  willing  hand. 

STATEMENT   OF    KECKIPTS    AND    EXPENDITURES    OF   THE 
"FRAM"    EXPEDITION,    1893-1896 


INCOME 
Contribution  of  the  State 
(government)     .... 
H.   M.  the  king  and  origi- 
nal private  contributors  . 
Collected  by  geographical 
society  and  committee   . 

Interest  

Deficit  covered  by  A.  Hei- 
berg,   A.    Dick,  and    F. 

N'-insen iQ.sr.i.so 

London  Geographical  So- 
ciety (/300),  H.  Simon, 
Manchester  (;/;ioo),  a 
Norwegian  at  Riga  (1000 
rubles),  and  others    .     .       9,278.62 


Crowns 
280,000.00 

105,000.00 

20,468.46 

9.7297« 


"^"'-■^^  ^■' 444,339.36 

(Total  about  $120,000.00.) 


EXI'KNSES 

Hire-account  (wages)    .     . 

Life  insurance  premiums 
(for  the  married  mem- 
bers of  e.\p.) 

Instruments  ace 

Ship's  ace.    .     . 

Provision  ace.  . 

L^xj)en.se  ace.     . 

Outfitting  ace.  . 


Crmvns 
46,440.00 


5,36  r. 90 
12,978.6/? 
271,927.08 
39. '72.98 
10,612  38 
57,846.31 


'^"♦■'''^'' 444.339-36 

(Total  about  $120,000.00.) 


\lh 


Hi 


y, 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE    VOYAGE    OF   THE    "  PRAM  " 

On  June  24,   1893,  everything  was  at  last  ready,  and 
the    I^ram    weighed    anchor,   and    stood    off    down    the 
Christiania  Fjord.     On  July  21  we  stood  out  to  sea  from 
Vardo,  the  last  Norwegian  port,  and  shaped  a  course  for 
Nova  Zembla.     On  the  way  we  were  stopped  by  ire  for 
some  days,  and  did  not  reach  Chabarowa,  in  the  Yugor 
Straits,  until  July  29.     Here  we  took  on  board  thirty-four 
Siberian  sledge  dogs,  which    Trontheim,  a   man  sent    by 
Baron  Toll,  had  brought  for  us  from  the  Ostiaks,  in  West 
Siberia.     Here,  too,  the   boiler  had    to   be    cleaned,  and 
various  otlier  preparations  made  before  wc  could  proceed. 
We  were  also  waiting  for  a  sloop,  the  Urania,  which  was 
to  bring  us  a  cargo  of  coal ;  but  her  coming  was  delayed ; 
and  as  we  already  had  a  large  quantity  of  coal  and  time 
was  short,  I  decided  not  to  wait. 

On  one  occasion  [  am  afraid  that  I  lowered  my  repu- 
tation for  all  time  to  come  among  the  Russians  and 
Samojedes  in  these  parts.  Some  of  them  had  been  on 
board  and  liad  seen  me  stand  in  the  launch  (I  was  en- 
gaged in  putting  the  machinery  in  order),  widi  arms  bare 
and  face  full  of  dirt  and  grease,  wearing  a  woollen  shirt 
and  working  hard.  After  they  had  gone  to  shore,  they 
told  Trontheim  that  he  had  deceived  them  in  telling 
them  that  I  was  a  fine  gentleman.  They  declared  th.-Tt 
I  worked  lik<  a  common  laborer  on  board,  and  loolicd 
»7 


m 


ill 


I 


2sS 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


f  i!      ! 


i 


■ 


*f*f     ■      1 


worse  than  a  pig.     Unfortunately,  Trontheim  could  not 
say  anything  in  my  defence;  one  cannot  deny  facts. 

On  the  evening  of  August  3  we  were  ready  to  start 
My  secretary,   Christof¥ersen,   who    had   accompanied  us 
so  far,  now  took  leave  of  us.     Just  as  we  were  about  to 
weigh   anchor,  however,  a  fog   came  on,  and  we  could 
hardly  see  the  length  of  the  bowsprit.     The  fog  did  not 
seem  inclined  to  lift,  and  I  at  last  decided  to  start  in  spite 
of  It,  I  myself,  with  one  man,  going  in  front  in  our  little 
petroleum   launch   to  sound   the  shallow  channels  where 
we  might  expect   to  run  aground  at  any  moment.     We 
got  safely  out,  and  next  morning  stood  out  of  the  Yuo-or 
Straits,  and  entered  the  dreaded  Kara  Sea.     Here  it  was 
not  long  before  we  met  with  ice,  and  it  almost  looked  as 
.f  every  way  was  blocked  ;  but  we  found  an  open  channel 
running  eastward  along  the  shore,  and  followed  it  as  far 
as  the  Kara  River.     Thence  we  crossed  over  to  Yalmal 
where,  on  August  6,  we  were  completely  stopped  by  ice' 
W  e  went  ashore,  and  while  waiting  employed  the  time  in 
botanical   and   geological   expeditions.     Upon    fixino-  the 
locality,  we  found,  too,  that  on   the  map  the  coast  was 
placed  half  a  degree  too  far  west.     While  we  lay  here,  two 
Samojedes  came  on  board  ;  they  were  hospitably  received 
and,  having  been  enriched  with  biscuits  and  other  Euro- 
pean luxuries,  left  the  ship  well  pleased.     They  were  the 
last  human  beings  we  saw. 

On  August  12  the  ice  at  length  opened  toward  the 
north  sufficiently  to  allow  of  our  venturing  on  an  attempt 
to  force  our  way  farther.  At  the  northern  point  of  Yal- 
mal, indeed,  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  reach  open 
water  on  August  13;  but  a  stiff  northeasteriy  gale  com- 
pelled  us  to  tack  eastward  against  a  heavy  sea.  This 
went  on  for  several  weeks. 


if 


1 1 


THE    VOYAGE   OE  THE  "EEAM"  ,5, 

WhHe  beating  up  one  day  against  a  stiff  breeze  in  the 
Kara  Sea,  to  the  northwest  of  the  mouth  of  the  Yenile 
R.ver,  we  suddenly  discovered  land.     VVe  could  Lf       f 

out  what  this  was,  as  our  observations  gavr'",^' 
as  ri2:ht  out  at  sea      Tf  o^       u  ^  position 

to  be  called  for  by  the  Enll  v!  ^". 'l°'"'=' *h,ch  were 
Captain  VVisjdns    I  ,,t  T^  '"  '^"P^^ition  under 

^  Wiggins,    but    time  was    Dren'nnc    -^r.A    T  i-l- 

decided  to  go  on  without  stopping"'      '  '  ''^"'°" 
coa^t'o"lir''-""  '■"='  "°"-*-^'-ly  direction  along  the 

Ian  .itw  s::,;:::  r';"-"^'^'--™^  -is! 

'   """-"    1  snail    not  dwell    unon  hf^t-A      ^^l,• 
upon  the  Whole  is  very  different  fro^^L^^^pI  Lr 
maps.     It  gave  me  the  impression  of  beine  a  ■.lar;=,f»^ 
coast  w.th  deep  fjords  and  a  marked  be  It  of  rol     1 
islands  outside  it,  something  like  the  west  coasTof  N 
way  or  Scotland,  although  of  course  the  „    ^  ' 

not  so  high  nor  the  fjord!  so  marked  "'"'"  ""^ 

-"  '?i:?:::?rb:rinf r-'^  '^r 

Ho-^        •  ,        F  ^    «Ji    uears    and    some    reindeer 

Here,  as  in  severa  olaces  nn  i\^^  Q,-k    •  ^t;uiaeer. 

unmistikihl.  f  r        ,  Siberian  coast,  we  found 

akable  str.at.ons.     When  we  were  about  to  go  on  f  om" 
tl-  place,  we  were  stopped  by  storm  and  a  rapid  advte 


!   t 


^!' 


}' 

1       ' 


!'        J 


I 


St' 


If  1  '•*    I  'i 


ti  I  'i  t'. 


260  JVAJVS£JV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

current,  which,  in  these  dangerous  waters,  full  of  rocks 
and  shallows,  rendered  our  advance  impossible.     Not  un- 
til August  24  did  we  get  clear  of  them,  when  we  still  had 
to  beat  up  toward  the  east,  against  a  strong  head  wind 
On  August  27   we  reached  Cape   Palander,  and  on  the 
same  night  were  stopped  by  unbroken  land-ice  between 
Nordenskjold's  Taimyr  Island  and  the  Almquist  Islands 
We  endeavored  to  break  our  way  through  to  the  north  of 
the  latter,  but  discovered  a  new  chain  of  islands  stretch- 
ing far  north.     After  having  at  length  reached  the  north- 
ern end  of  these,  we  were  stopped  there  by  densely  packed 
ice,  and  were  obliged  to  turn  back.     There  was  no  pas- 
sage to  be  discovered  ;  unbroken  land-ice  lay  everywhere 
between  the  islands.     We  were  obliged  to  wait,  prepared 
to  wmter  m  the  same  spot  where  Nordenskjold,  as  early 
as  the  middle  of  August,  1S78,  had  found  water  entirely 
free  from  ice.     The  storm,  however,  broke  up  the  ice,  and 
on  September  6  we  were  able  to  continue  our  way;  but  to 
our  surprise  we  came  upon  land  before  we  were  half  way 
across  the  Taimyr  Gulf,  as  it  is  laid  down  on  the  map 
This  bay  IS  considerably  narrower  than  one  would  crather 
from  ordinary  maps,  and  has  a  different  appearance.''   We 
went  on   in  a  northerly  direction   toward  Cape  Chelyus- 
kin, but  were  stopped  on  September  7  by  close-packed 
ice  to  landward. 

On  the  following  day  I  went  on  an  expedition  into  the 
Chelyuskin  Peninsula.  I  found  it  to  consist  for  the  most 
part  of  extensive  clay  plains,  strewn  with  huge  erratic 
blocks  of  granite,  porphyry,  and  various  kinds  of  rock  I 
also  found  here  the  opening  of  a  mighty  estuary,  which 
extended  far  up  into  the  land. 

On  September  9  we  were  once  more  able  to  push  our 


► 


• 


THE    VOYAGE   OP  THE  " FSAM"  jj, 

way  northward,  discovering  still  ,nore  new  islands  in  the 
sea  o  the  west  of  Cape  Chelyuskin,  which  we  passed  on 
September  ,c.     East  of  this  cape  the  thickly  packed  ice 

°ce  fat  to^h"".""!  '°  "^'^  '  ^'^°"  '^'•'''-  Masses  of 
^e  lay  to  the  east  and  south  along  the  east  coast  of  the 

Taimyr  Pen.nsula,  so  close  to  the  shore  that  we  were 
obliged  to  continue  along  it  southward  as  far  as  to  about 
the  mouth  of  the  Anabara  River.     On  September  ,5  we 
ere   otf   the    Olenek  River,  where  twentysix    first  rate 
sledge  dogs  were  awaiting  us.     These,  too,  had  been  pro- 
cured by  Baron  Toll,  because  the  East  Siberian  dogs  a  "e 
very  much  better  than  the  U'est  Siberian.     It  was  mo 
mportant  for  me  te  have  these  dogs,  as  I  telt  that  they 
m.gh     become  very  useful  to  us ;  but  the  shallow  water 
nd  the  lateness  of  the  season  kept  me  from  goin<,  i , 
Were  we  to   run  aground  here,  it  might  easii;  cos^t  us 
several  days'  labor  to  get  afloat  again.lmd  in  L  n  eai 
nne  winter  might  set  in,  and  we  should  be  imprisoned 
foi   a  whole  year,   even  if  nothing  worse  happened.     I 
considered  this  was  too  great  a  risk  to  run,  and'therefor 
continued  our  course  toward  the  New  Siberian  Islands 

On  the    night   of   September   iS  we  pas.sed  the  most 
westerly  of  these  islands- Bielkov  Island.     Depots  had 

caTof?","""^'"^''"'-  ""  ^'•^'^"'■'-"  ^y  '^-•°"  To"    n 
case  o    our  being  obliged  to  leave  the  ship  and  turn  our 

teps  homeward  across  Siberia.     I  would  have  been  .lad 

to  Inspect  these  depots;  but  again  time  compelled  u^  to 

to  r  Torr  "'^^  "•'*°"  '''-'  ''"""''  '"^  °i-'  ™'- 

It  was  not  until  September  20,  in  77°  44'  N    lat    that 

"^   were  stopped   by   ice.     I   shouId'Lve  liked   to  t 

eastward  along  the  edge  of   the  ice  for  the  purpose  of 


!f 


i- 


•  1 1  m 

m  ^■ 


s      f 


262 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


examining,  if  possible,  the   mysterious   Sannikov    Land ; 
and  thence  go  in  the    direction  of  Bennett    Island  ;  but 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  ice  in  this  direction,  and  as  pro- 
gress would  consequently  be  doubtful,  I  continued  in  a 
northwesterly  direction  along  the  edge  of  the  ice.     On 
September  2 1  we  reached  the  head  of  a  bay  in  the  ice, 
whence  the  ice-edge    extended  in  a  southw^esterly  direc- 
tion.     Here  we  could  discover  no  further  lead   toward 
the  north,  and  we  therefore,  on  September  22,  made  fast 
to  an  iceberg  in  78^  50'  N.  lat.  and  133°  2.^'  E.  long.,  and 
allowed  ourselves  to  be  surrounded  by  the  ice,  which  was 
soon  packed  closely  around  the  ship. 

^  During   the  first  few  days   we   drifted    in   a  northerly 
direction,  so  that    by  September  29  we    had    passed  the 
seventy-ninth  parallel  of  latitude.     Hope  was  bright,  but 
before  long  it  was  darkened  by  a  north  wind,  whfch  con- 
tinued throughout  the  autumn,  and  carried  us  in  a  south- 
easterly direction.     That  was  a  dreary  time  ;  it   seemed 
as  if  everything  were  going  against  us.     On  November 
8  we  had  come  right  down  as  far  as  ']f  43'  N.  lat.,  and 
138°  8' E.   jong.;  but  then  at  last  we  got  southerly  and 
southeasterly  winds,  and   began  in    earnest  to  drift  in  a 
northerly  and   northwesterly  direction,  just   as  had  been 
presupposed,  in  the  plan  of  the  expedition. 

As  early  as  October  the  ice-pressures  began  to  be  tre- 
mendous, and  continued  throughout  the^utumn  and 
winter.  We  soon  discovered  that  it  was  principally  due 
to  the  tidal  current,  and  that  the  ice  periodically  parted 
and  packed  together  again  twice  in  the  twenty-four  hours. 
The  pressure,  was  therefore  greatest  at  the  spring  tides, 
when  it  would  often  lift  the  vessel  several  feet,  only  to  let 
It  drop  back  again  into  its  former  position  as  soon  as  the 


t 


'■^■^m^^ 


THE    VOYAGE   OF  THE   ''FHAM" 


263 


t 


i 


THK    "  KRAM  "   IN    THE   ICE-PACK 

ice  again  opened.  In  the  case  of  any  other  vessel  this 
pressure  would  have  been  utterly  fatal;  but  the  Fram 
surpassed  our  boldest  expectations,  and  was  superior  to 
all  pressure.  The  ice  piled  itself  up,  and  crashed  against 
her  sides  with  a  noise  like  the  crack  of  ]:Hm,.  but  m  vain 
There  was  not  a  sound  of  the  yielding  oi  tinibers  or  wood. 


Mi 


264  A\4NS£N  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 

The  noise  of  the  ice  crushing  against  her  sides  often  rose 
to  sucJ.  a  pitch  that  we  could  not  hear  each  other  speak 
as  we  sat  ni  the  saloon.  It  was  particularly  awkward  for 
the  card-players,  ^^•ho  thus  could  not  hear  each  other's 
declarations. 

At  first,  as  long  as  the  crew  were  unaccustomed  to  this 
they  found  the  scene  so  interesting  that  they  remained  on 
deck  to  watch  it ,  but  tliey  soon  tired  of  it.  and  no  longer 
went  up,  however  Dad  the  ]3ressure  was.  W'c  felt  as  s^fe 
as  in  a  fortress,  and  the  Fram  was  a  comfortable  warm 
nest,  where  nothing  was  felt  of  the  severity  of  the  polar 
winter.  . 

The  temperature  fell  rapidl)-,  and  continued  evenlv  low 
tl^'-oughout   the  winter.      During  manv  weeks   the 'mer- 
cury was  froze.i.     The  lowest  temperature  was  63^  below 
xoro.     In  spite  of  this,  and  although  with  this  temperature 
there  was  often  a  wind,  we  felt  quite  comfortable,  durincr 
our   open-an-   excursions,  in  our   good   woollen   clothin.^ 
with    a    covering  of    wind-i^roof    material    outside.       Tlfe 
I^ram  was  s„  well  protected  against  the  cold  that  even  in 
these  lou  temperatures  we  had  no  fire  in  the  saloon  until 
the  New  Year. 

All  the  men  were  in  excellent  health  during  the  whole 
of  die  expedite .n,  and  ue  are  all  agreed  that  the  Polar 
Sea  ,s  a  healthy  place,  especially  with  such  a  capital  sani- 
tanum  as  the  Fram. 

The  electric  light  was  produced  In-  means  of  a  wind- 
"^''1'  and  quite  fulfilled  our  expectaf  ,ns.     There  was  not 
lowever.  sufficient    wind    to  alhnv  of  our  having  electric 
I'.i^lit  all  the  time,  and  ue  then  had  to  content  oun^elves 
with  ordmaryoil  lamps. 

On  the  V  hole,  t!ie  time  passed  as  pleasantly  as  possible 


f 


M 


266 


NAA'SEiV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


on  board.     Every  man  was  on  the  best  of  terms  with  his 
neighbor,    and    did    his   duty  with    a  will.     Care   was  of 
course  taken  to  providf,  occupation;  but  even  without  this, 
time  did  not  hang  heavy  on  our  hands.     For  those  who 
were  not  continually  occupied  in  scientific  observations 
and  investigations  there  was  abundant  entertainment  in  a 
capital  library,  games,  music,  various  kinds  of  work,  etc. ; 
and  I  think  hardly  any  of  us  greatly  felt   the  monotony 
complained  of  in  all  Arctic  expeditions.     For  us  who  had 
charge  of  the  scientific  observations  then-  was  more  work 
than  we  could   accomplish.     The   Fram,  in   fact  consti- 
tuted  an   observatory  of  the   best   kmd   for  scientific  in- 
vestigations of  all  kmds ;   and  it  is  thereiore  scarcely  to 
be  wondered  at  that  we  should  bring  home  such  abun- 
dant and  valuable  material  as  few  expeditions  before  us 
secured. 

Lieutenant    Sigurd   Scott-Hansen  was  responsible  for 
the  meteorological,  magnetic,  and  astronomical   obscrxa- 
tlons,  which,  I  venture  to  say,  are  exceptionally  complete. 
Dr.  Blessing  undertook  the  greater  part  of  the  botanical 
investigations  and  observations  of  the  Aurora    Borealis, 
and  also,  of  course,  his  physiological  and  medical  obscrxa- 
tions,  which  are  b)  no  means  unimportant.     In  addition 
to  these,  zoological  research- s  were  made  on  board,  sound- 
ings, determination  of  the  temperature  and  the  salinity  of 
the  sea  wator,  observations  oi  the  atmosj)hericaI  electricitv, 
and  much  besides. 

In  the  sea  lear  th  >'.berian  coast  and  northward  to 
79°  N.  lat.,  I  found  only  very  inconsiderable  depths  —  less 
than  ninety  fathoms.  A  little  south  of  this  latitude,  how- 
ever, th  v'epth  increased  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  \ 
found  the  sea  north  of  that  to  be  between  i, 600  and  1,900 


s  with  his 
re  was  of 
thout  this, 
those  who 
servations 
iment  in  a 
vork,  etc. ; 
monotony 
s  wlio  had 
lore  work 
ct  consti- 
entific  in- 
:arcely  to 
ich  abun- 
before  us 

nsible  for 
obscrxa- 

complcte. 

botanical 
Boreah's, 

I  obscr\a- 
addition 

"d,  sound- 

lalinity  of 

Ic'ctricitv. 

hward  to 
IS  —  less 
ide,  how- 
ty,  and  I 
nd  1,900 


?«L"IM 


:.%n 


ITHLANT) 


^ 


-Fan 


p^ajtcTtD  :^oirTf:  < 


■MOWN  THUS 


/ 


■-1   \    N 


V-; 


\ 


CTUiL  ROirrt  •5H0VVN  THUS. 


>. .:.  -.».... ...  ..*„.  „.,  .u,.,  ,<„„. 'z:^zz~zizzz^^. 


_Jll 


268 


JV^JVS^AT  fjv  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


%: 


TK-    J-  *J^Lueen     ^pitzbergen    and     Greenhnrl 

a"  ea,l,er  theories  based  upon  a  shallow  Polar  Sea      In 
the  numerous  bottom  samples  brought  to  th     s.^rf.;e  I 
our  sounAngs  I  ahvays  found  a  r^markabl    al  ™  e  o 
o  gan,c  l,fe,  a  fact  which  will  probably  lead  to  IT  "ter 
a  on  of  our  v,ews  with   regard  to  bottom  deposit"      The 
temperature  and  salinity  of  the  sea  also  „.„      f ,' 
different  frnn,  ti  ■  •  '  ™™  *"  l^e  ™ry 

ties         fo  ^"PP°-^'"°"«  "f  most  scientific  author  - 

temperature  beincr  o^  ,^„  u  "^  ^^'^^  Stream,  its 

*-  >•-  »,.i;: !— ,:\■;;-- 
>JtLK  again,  and  were  our  course  to  ho  r,,.  i     i 
n^ap  as  it  actually  was    it  would  h         \  "^'"^  ''^  '" 

loops  and   knots  L  "^  '""''  ^'  confusion   of 

tHing  of  t  f;  1:7" ""''  '^  '-^"^^  ^^^  "^^^'-  -3- 

ever   on  which  •  "^^'--^  -tlinc  map,  how- 

-pp:":sm:h::m::i^^^'"^''"'^'-'^---^-'-'/-^ 

%  June  18  we  had  in  this  .ay  reached  S,°  5.'  N.  lat., 


f 


TIf£    VOYAGB   OF  THE  " PKAM"  ,s, 

in  lower  latit^Ii     "'n;   utl    OcToT''  ^"  .'f^'    ^''•"' 

mas  Dav   iSoj  X,«  °',  *e  evening  of  Christ- 

i^ay,  1S94,  ),3    „,3g  reached  in  ahn.it  ^Z"  -c   , 

and  a  few  days  later  83°  .4'  N    la         ^         '  °'^- 

latitude  until  then  reached  bj.nn'f' ~        ""'  '"'■""''^ 

the°™"'  '  '"'  =•  "'5'  ""  ^--  "-  objected  to 
tne  gieatest  pressure  we  exuenVn^^ri      c  r 

on  our  expedition  the  ^reTlT       ,  "  ^''  '''  °"^ 

McClinto  k,  J     t  .s  hi'  'f  ""'^"'  ^"-  ^^°^-^^^ 

1.0     1  1     .       ^  ^'^^  opinion  that  the  Fra^n  unnlrl 

be  able  to  withstand  the  ice-nressnrp  Jn  fi 
f]v,f  if  ,1  i^t;pitssure  m  the  summer,  but 

hat  If  she  were  exposed  to  it  in  the  winter  he  beh'  e 
the  probabi  ity  of  her  being  able  to  stand  the  presst  "o 
raise  herself  was   very  sli.rhf       Ofi         a  P'^^^-'^"»<-  oi 

e.Wssed  thc™.,el.e/y:;t.e  '^Zj;:^::'^^ 

n  tiK  «nuc..     Now,  however,  the  />«„  „.as  not  only  to 
be   exposed    to    winter  pressure,  but   she  was   then   fa  ^ 

.VreslibtV       "^"!™^'=  "^'^^^-  °f  ice  came  gliding  with 
inenclous.     The  ,ce  piled  itself  up  above  the  cunwale. 

-  could  ,ive,-^i:  n::r-,r::::::,-:-S 

orouglit  m  safety  on  to  the  ire      All  k.   j 

1  1        .  "■'J  uic  ice.     /vii  hands  were  rpnrl\r  f/^ 

!:%  el!;:;:""  ■™"  --  -  -  ^"°-^  -  ^^^^^ 

But  the  /).<,„  proved  to  be  stronger  than  our  faith  in 


4 


U 


■ 


270 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


her.  When  the  pressure  was  at  its  height,  and  for  the 
first  time  her  timbers  and  beams  began  to  creak,  she 
broke  loose,  and  was  slowly  lifted  up  out  of  the  icy  berth 
in  which  she  had  been  fast  frozen. 

It  was  a  triumph.  By  putting  together  the  very  worst 
possibilities,  I  could  hardly  imagine  a  more  dangerous 
position  for  a  vessel,  and  after  that  experience  I  consider 
\\\^Fram  to  be  capable  of  anything.  Notwithstanding 
the  most  careful  examination,  we  have  not  been  able  to 
discover  a  single  crack,  a  single  splinter  displaced  in  her. 

After  this  it  became  comparatively  quiet  as  regards  the 
pressures,  and  we  drifted  on  rapidly  in  a  northerly  and 
northeasterly  direction. 


,  ^; 


. 


I 


CHAPTER   XV 


THE    GREAT    SLEDGE    EXPEDITION 

As  I  now  thought  I  could  assume  with  certainty  that 
the  Fra^n  in  a  short  time  would  reach  her  highest  lati- 
tude north  of  Franz  Josef  Land.,  and  as  early  as  the 
following  summer  would,  as  our  plan  presupposed,  be 
near  the  sea  north  of  Spitzbergen,  I  believed  the  oppor- 
tunity had  come  to  carry  out  a  plan  I  had  for  some  time 
entertained;  namely,  to  examine  the  sea  north  of  the 
Frams  course.  This  could  only  be  done  by  a  sledge  ex- 
pedition, which  could  not  reckon  upon  getting  back  again 
to  the  Fram,  as  the  chance  of  refinding  a  vessel  drifting 
in  the  ice  was  small.  As  a  journey  of  this  kind  might 
appear  to  be  fraught  with  some  risk,  should  unforeseen 
iiind ranees  be  met  with,  I  felt  that  I  could  not  take  the 
responsibility  of  sending  any  one  else,  and  therefore  de- 
cided to  go  myself,  although  there  was  no  lack  on  board 
of  those  who  were  more  than  desirous  of  going.  I  chose 
as  my  companion  Lieutenant  Johansen,  who  gladly  ac- 
cepted the  offer  of  going,  The  command  of  the  remain- 
der of  the  expedition  on  board  the  Fram  I  left  in  Svcr- 
drup's  hands. 

I  of  course  felt  some  hesitation  in  thus  leaving  my 
companions  and  placing  the  responsibility  for  their  well- 
being  and  safety  in  the  hands  of  another ;  but  with  the 
perfect  confidence  that  I  had  in  Sverdrup's  capability  as 
a  leader  and  power  of  overcoming  difficulties,  I  had  no 


Ui\ 


m 


f!:h 


'  VI 


272  A':4JVS£Ar  m  THE  FROZEX  WORLD 

fear  of  his  not  bringing  all  hands  safely  home,  even 
should  the  worst  happen  and  they  have  to  abandon  the 
Fram:  an  event,  however,  which  I  deemed  highly  im- 
probable.  °    ■' 

All  the  winter  I  had  been  busy  making  preparations  for 
I1.S  expedition.     I  had  had  new  strong  sledges  made  on 
board  specially  calculated  for  being  drawn  by  dogs  over 
the  uneven  ice.     Ne.xt  I  had  made  two  kaiaks,  twelve  feet 
■n  length,  and  so  roomy  that  they  could  each  carry  a  man 
with  provisions  for  four  months,  as  well  as  some  dogs  on 
the  deck.     The  framework  of  these  was  made  of  bamboo 
and  covered  with  canvas.     When  completed  they  wei<,hed 
about  forty  ,»unds  each.    The  provisions,  which  consTsted 
e.Nclus,vely  of  the  best  kinds  of  dried  and  greatly  con- 
densed articles  of  food, -chiefly  dried  meat,  dried  fish 
steam-cooked  oatmeal,  biscuits,  butter,  etc.,  etc.,  -  „-ere' 
stowed  away  in  canvas  bags  of  convenient  size.     We  had 
constantly  driven  the  dogs  to  keep  them  in  trainin..  for 
the  journey,  and  all  kinds  of  experiments  had  been  tied 
with  the  tent,  sleeping-bag,  etc. 

It  was  my  intention  to  leave  the  Fram  ns  soon  as  the 
dawnmg  polar  day  would   allow  of   our   traversing   the 
.■ough    drift  ,ce.     .So  on    February  .6.  with  si.,   sl^d.^es 
twenty-eight   dogs,  two    kaiaks,  and   provisions  for  men' 
and    dogs   for  several    months,  Johan.sen    and  I  left  the 
Fram.     However,  after  four  days'  toiling  with  all  these 
sedges  over  the    rough  ice,  we  su„-    that,  thus    heavily 
aden,  w.  should  not  be  able  to  reach  our  goal  in  good 
"-.      Ihed„g,s  could  not  on  this  ice  dr,aw"as  much  as 
«e  had  expected  of  them  ;  and  we  therefore  decided  to 
return  to  the  ship,  in  order  to  reduce  the  luimbc,-  of  our 
sedges  and  the  ,|uantity  of  our  pro  isions,  and  to  wait  a 
little  Jonger  before  setting  off. 


!     r 


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274 


A^^Jvs£^v  Av  me  frozen  ivoRr.D 


On  Marel,  3  just  as  wu  were  approacl,in.  the  Frarn 
tiK  sun  appeared  above  tl,e  horizon  for  the  L,  i\Z7 1 
.^,g.  ^ter  the  .on,est  poiar  n.Vht  ever  i^i       ec'^ 


-n.    ^AXSK.    ...o   UKUTKN...,.  ,.,,,3,..    X.K.V,XO    THK^^  kIam" 


no^:r,.trt:tr;::h::;'--^^^ 

'cc.      \\c  thus  need   not  set  off    ,0  earlv    an,l 
't  was  not  until  Mareh  ,4  that  we  a.ain     ad  f  a '  dl 
our  ...panions,  this  ti„K.  in  earnest;^^v/,l  ■     r      ;; 

«c   had   the    same  tuenty-eifrht  do<rs  as  before      ii   >,  , 

smoothc,   ,ce,  the  .ce  there  being  older,  and  its  uneven- 


.. 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDITION  275 

ness  therefore  better  covered  up  by  the   drifting  snow. 

This  appeared  at  first  to  be  the  case.     We  found  the  ice 

tolerably   easy   to   get  over,   and    did   some   good   days' 

marches.     On  March  22  we  had  already  reached  85°  10' 

N.  lat.,  and  we  calculated  that  we  could  cover  greajer  and 

greater  distances  as  the  sledge-loads  grew  lighter  with  the 

daily  consumption  of  food  on  the  pa.^  of  both    men   and 

dogs.     The  dogs,  too,  appeared   to  hold  out  fairly  well. 

But  by  and  by  the  floes  began  to  be  more  uneven,  and 

packed    together,    and    the    drift,    which    until    then   had 

seemed  to  be  slight,  was  now  against  us.     On  March  25 

we   had   reached   85°    19'  N.   lat;  on  the   29th,  85°   30'. 

The  ice  was  obviously  drifting  southward  at  a  good  rate, 

while  at  the  same  time  our  progress  over  the  rough  ice 

was  slow.     It  was  a  never-ending  labor,  forcing  our  way 

through  and  getting  the  sledges  over  the  high  hummocks 

and    piled-up    ridges    of    ice,  which   were    always    being 

formed  afresh,  and  which  the  snow-storm  never  had  time 

to  smooth  over.     On  such  ice  the  dogs,  of  course,  were  of 

very  little  assistance.     When  they  came  to  obstacles  such 

as  these   they  waited   patiently  until  we   had   carried  the 

sledges  safely  over,  and  they  could  once  more  draw  them 

Oil  over  a  short  stretch  of  level  ice  to  a  fresh  obstacle. 

The  ice  was  in  constant  movement  and  thundering 
around  us  on  all  sides.  On  April  3  we  were  in  85°  59' 
N.  lat.  We  pushed  on  with  all  our  might,  always  hoping 
for  better  ice.  On  April  4  we  reached  86°  3';  but  the 
ice  grew  worse,  until  at  last  on  April  7  it  was  so  bad 
that  I  thought  it  unadvisable  to  continue  any  farther  to- 
ward the  north.  If  it  were  like  this  in  the  direction  of 
Franz  Josef  Land,  we  might  have  difficulty  enough  in 
getting   there.     We   were    then   in   86°    14'   N.   lat!^  and 


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33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

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JV^m£JV  M  THE  PMZEN  WOULD 


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-«^o:^Z^Zi:^^ '  "-'  ^"*- 

highest  hummock  I  could  fi,d1         ''  T     ^'""^  "^' 
P=ied.up  ice  as  far  as  thl  ioS      "™  ""'^  ^'"'^^^  =>"<• 

the  wind  v'tho^Ube  „.  s  "  "'.  ?'""''  '"  ^'•■■''  '^'='°- 
fo.adi.a„ceof  m  ';L;r:i  f  ™'"''^"^  °'  "'^"^^ 
probable  that  land  win  7  '  f  "*''""  '°  "<-'  ^^''C'^ly 
Pole,  ever,  if  v     1  '     ,°"  ''"  '''''=  °'  '^e  North 

thing  like  a  c„„H  ''"T  ""'  ™  "'^  «'her  side  any- 

peK  o  .aVir:;  r:.f  thJir  ^"-'-"  -- 
o«^;:o;^r^:i:k!:i:rit";::-- 

was  approaching,  and  the  temperatu  1  "d  ht .  H  T'^ 
comparatively  high,  we  did  not  think  t  sit  u'  " 
nave  verv  In w  f, >,-,..,      ^  &nouJd  ao;ain 

and  ma^:  h  e  ^  '""■  •^"  "--'"-■  '"  -e  we^ht 
reduced  the  o    fi  T  ''       """■^'""' '"  l--'^'^'.  we 

ciothing  on  bo  f  J ,  :::n  7'  '^■'',  °"^  -™  '- 

time,  a  proa-edin./, h  ""'  ^'""  "'"=  «'^<^°nd 

bitterly.  ^  "''"  "■''  "'•^'''^  «"b«equently  ,o  repent 

For  about  three  wcd-^  «i,,.  * 
about  40°  below  „■•  '""l"-'"""-^'  ■•'■■"lained  at 
^ero,  but  S.K.  L  ■  ™"«  ""  ^''"'  ■  '"  ■  ■"  below 
-ch  a  to  rati  17""  .'V'-^°  ''^'""-  ^"°'  ^^''h 
cold  „,  ou  C  ,rf  ■■"  ,"■';"•  ""  """"  ''■"  '•  '"'"-'y 
owing   to    the:"     r.      ..:";';  \,::'t'^";  ^^^^^^ 

--.^^of  ice-s^r ::;:;:— :;: 


lii-iji 


THE    GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDITION  277 

every  night  in  our  sleeping-bag,  no  little  physical  heat 
being  spent  on  the  process ;  and  not  until  we  had  lain 
with  chattering  teeth  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half  did 
we  begin  to  feel  at  all  comfortable.  A  few  minutes  after 
we  got  out  of  our  sleeping-bag  in  the  morning,  our  clothes 
were  again  transformed  into  ice;  and  I  scarcely  think 
that  either  Johansen  or  I  will  ever  wish  for  a  repetition 
of  ^those  days.  In  March  the  minimum  temperature  was 
49°  below  zero,  the  maximum  4"  below  zero. 

It  was  on  April  8  that  we  altered  our  course  and  be- 
gan our  wanderings  toward  Cape  Fligely,  in  Franz  Josef 
Land.     For  a  time  we  still  had  the  same  toilsome  kind  of 
road  to  go ;  but  after  one  day's  march  the  ice  became  bet- 
ter,  and  its  passage  somewhat  easier.     It  was  our  habit  to 
vvind  up  our  watches  every  evening  when  we  got  into  our 
sleeping-bags.     Being,  however,  very  anxious  to  get  on 
our  day's  march  was  sometimes  very  long,  and  on  April 
12    more    than    thirty-si-c    hours    had    elapsed    before  we 
again  crept  into  our  bags;  and  when  we  then  thought  of 
our  watches  they  had  run  down.    This  was  an  unfortunate 
occurrence.     I  had  taken  no  observations  for  longitude 
for  three  days.     I  of  course  took  an  observation  for  time 
the  following  day,  but  nas  obliged  to  make  a  reckoning 
or  the  three  intermediate  days'  journey,  which,  however. 
1  knew  must  be  fairly  accurate,  even  thougl;   I  could  not 
tell  how  much  the  ice  had  drifted  in  that  time.     In  order 
to  have  our  time  once  more  quite  exact.  I  now  wanted  to 
take  some  lunar  distances;  but  on  setting  about  it  I  dis- 
covered  that  the  table  necessary  for  thci,-  calculation  had 
been  left  on  board  by  mistake.     Wc  naturally,  during  the 
rest  of  our  journey,  continued   to  take  observations  for 
longitude  with  just  as  much  care,  and  thought  that  we 
could  not  be  very  far  out. 


'H 


is  !       ■' 


278  JVJJVSBAT  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

When   we  arrived  at  85°  N.   lat.  on  April  25,  to  our 
astonishment  we  came  upon  two  fox  tracks.    This  seemed 
to   rniply  that  we  were   near  some  land ;  but  nothino-  of 
the  kmd  was  visible,  notwithstanding  the  clear  weather 
What  now  most  hindered  our  progress  were  the  cracks 
and  channels  in  the  ice.     In  that  low  temperature  they 
were,  as  a  rule,  covered  with  a  thin  sheet  of  ice,  which 
made  it  impossible  to  use  our  kaiaks  in  getting  across. 
We  were    therefore  often    compelled   to  go  a  round  of 
many  miles,  and  it  would  sometimes  take  half  a  day  to 
get  past  a  channel  of  this  kind.     The  farther  south  we 
came,  the  more  of   these   there  were,  and   they  greatly 
hindered  our  advance;  while  provisions  were  dwindling 
and  the  dogs  had  to  be  killed  one  after  another  to  feed 
the  remainder.     Some  of  the  dogs  at  first  evinced  great 
aversion  to  eating  their  companions  ;  but  as  their  hunger 
increased,  and  they  got  nothing  else  to  eat,  they  gradu- 
ally became  so  voracious  for  this  food  that  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  keep  them  from  it  as  soon  as  a  dog  was  killed. 

Their  rations  had  to  be  gradually  reduced  to  the  small- 
est possible  amount,  so  as  to  make  the  little  we  had  00  far 
enough,  and  keep  them  alive  as  long  as  possible;  iTut  by 
degrees  they  grew  sadly  worn  out.  Many  of  them  drew 
their  load  faithfully  until  they  suddenly  dropped  down 
with  fatigue,  unable  to  stand  any  longer.  We  then  had 
no  other  choice  than  to  kill  them  oii^  the  spot,  or  to  lay 
them  on  one  of  the  sledges,  and  take  them  with  us  to  kill 
them  when  we  pitched  our  camp  in  the  evening. 

In  June  the  channels  became  more  numerous  and 
more  difficult  than  ever  to  deal  with,  and  the  state  of  the 
ice  was  very  bad.  Dogs,  ski.  and  sledge-runners  broke 
through  the  crust  on  the  snow,  and  sank  deep  into  the 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDITION 


279 


soft  and  wet  snow  beneath.  The  number  of  dogs  new, 
too,  was  very  small,  and  was  continually  diminishing. 
Advance  seemed  almost  hopeless,  but  we  had  no  choice, 
and  so  toiled  on  as  best  we  could,  while  the  rations  for 
both  dogs  and  men  were  reduced  to  a  minimum. 

It  is  well  known  that,  according  to  Payer's  map,  tiiere 
is  a  land  north  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  in  about  83°  N.  lat., 
which  he  has  called  Petermann  Land,  it  had  been  my 
intention  to  try  first  to  gain  this  land,  where  progress 
would  probably  have  been  easy,  and  where  we  could 
have  reckoned  on  finding  sufficient  "-ame  for  our  rifles. 
According  to  our  reckoning,  too,  we  ought  now  to  have 
been  in  the  longitude  of  this  land  ;  but  we  came  farther 
and  farther  south  without  being  able  to  descry  any  land 
at  all.  At  the  end  of  May  we  were  in  82°  21'  N.  lat; 
on  June  4,  in  82°  18'.  By  June  15  we  had  drifted  north- 
west into  82°  26',  and  should  not  then  have  been  more 
than  about  twenty  miles  north  of  Cape  Fligely.  We  still, 
however,  could  see  no  land.  This  became  more  and  more 
puzzling,  and  the  state  of  the  ice  grew  continually  worse. 
At  last,  on  June  22,  we  shot  a  large  seal,  and  now  deter- 
mined to  wait  until  the  snow  melted,  in  the  mean  time 
living  upon  seals  flesh.  A  little  later  we  shot  three  bears, 
and  we  now  had  abundance  of  food,  so  that  our  two 
remaining  dogs  could  be  well  fed  on  raw  meat.  It  was 
not  until  July  22  that  we  once  more  set  out  over  tolerably 
good  ice,  and  two  days  later  we  at  length  came  in  sight  of 
unknown  land.  We  were  th.en  in  about  82°  N.  lat.,  but 
we  were  to  have  a  hard  struggle  to  reach  this  land. 

One  day  during  that  time  we  had  an  adventure  which 
might  have  been  much  more  serious.  We  were  just 
about  to  cross  a  channel  in  the  ice  in  our  kaiaks.     This 


I,  ■. 


'4A 


i  4- 


It  s  ' 


280 


^^^-^^^  /^  r^^  j^j^OZSJV  IVOJ^LD 


tl     St      I  T:  °'"  '"'"•  ""^  ''<"''■"«  "^^  •'ear  by 

■■nto  the  wL, :  d  :  'ir;:  "T"  "^^ '°"  ^"•^ 

sfengtl,   ,  hauled  ,l,e  h^avi        de,  kaf  T"""^  '"  "^ 

ea,,  and  the  bear  fell  down  dead  between  us.     The  onlv 
™™d  Johansen  had  teeeived  was  a  sh.ht  setatch    „  the 

Sf^eX'rLr'' '"'  "■^'"'  - "-  ->  -"  '^^- 
ove"tt::::iV;r'-"r:;;:,:,r,  r '''''"  -^  •^" 

.1     /-n    ,  cnannels  between  were  n<«  n 

;  *,  filled  with  sn,all  ice-piece.s  and  ccshed  fee  L;    n<! 

t  "»poss,b  e  to  use  our  kaiaks.     VVe  therefore  lldTo  e  t 

the  «ater      VVc  contuiued  this  for  a  fortn,Xd,t,  and  it  was 
no   t,nt,l  August  6  that  we  reached  lan.l  in"s,"  38  N  h 
and  6f  K  long.    This  first  la„d  consisted  of  four  entielv 
glae,er.covered  islands,  which  ,  called  ilirttenll     2 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE   EXPEDITION  281 

an  old  Norwegian  fairy  tale.  Along  the  north  side  of 
these  islands  there  was  open  water,  upon  which  we  rowed 
westward  in  our  kaiaks.  When  we  reached  this  open 
water  there  was  little  prospect  of  our  having  much  more 
use  for  the  two  dogs  we  still  had  left;  and  as  it  was  not  a 
little  inconvenient  to  take  them  with  us  on  the  sea,  we 
shot  them  and  left  them  on  the  drift  ice. 

^  In  these  waters  we  made  a  remarkable  ornithological 
discovery ;  for  as  long  as  we  were  in  the  neighborhood  of 
these  islands  we  daily  saw  numbers  of  the  hitherto  so 
rare,  so  mysterious,  and  so  little  known  Ross's  gull  {Rodo- 
stetia  rosea).  This,  the  most  markedly  polar  of  all  bird 
forms,  is  easily  recognizable  from  other  species  of  gull  by 
its  beautiful  rose-colored  breast,  its  wedge-shaped  tail,  and 
airy  flight.  It  is  without  comparison  the  most -beautiful 
of  all  the  animal  forms  of  the  frozen  regions.  Hitherto  it 
has  only  been  seen  by  chance  on  the  utmost  confines  of 
the  unknown  Polar  Sea,  and  no  one  knew  whence  it  came 
or  whither  it  went ;  but  here  we  had  unexpectedly  come 
upon  its  native  haunt,  and,  although  it  was  too  late  in  the 
year  to  find  its  nests,  there  could  be  no  doubt  about  its 
breeding  in  this  region. 

During  the  next  few  days,  a  thick  fog  prevented  us 
from  discovering  land  south  of  these  inlands;  but  on 
August  12  the  fog  lifted  a  little,  and  an  extensive  land,  or 
rather  a  chain  of  islands,  now  lay  before  us  to  the  west 
and  south,  extending  from  the  southeast  right  up  to  the 
northwest.  This  was  more  and  more  p -zzling.  There 
was  nothing  to  be  found  in  Payer's  map  agreeing  with  it. 
I  thought  we  must  be  very  nearly  in  the  same  longitude 
as  Austria  Sound ;  but  if  this  was  correct,  v/e  were  now 
in  the  act  of  sailing  right  across  Wilczek  Land  and  the 


pTif 


I'i' ' 


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11^ ' 


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I 


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282 


'^'^■^'^^  /^  y//^.  y.:^oZA^  ^^^^^ 


NoTccu         ;     *:  r  f  "'."^,;^  ^'"™'-  of  -y  -and  nean 

i^l'ed.     It  is  Zl:Z^  "'"'"""'  ■''"""''•  'O"'  '«d  «"- 
lb  tneietoie  scarcely  surorisino-  tu-,t   r 

the  conclusion  that  there  m„i  1  ^  "'■""*=  '° 

'■»  our  longitude  Ho  ,  T  '"'"'•'  '^""-•''-■'•«We  error 
clear  to  n^  but  ^  ",  ff'  "'"  '""''  '^^  "-  -t 
"H.st  have" one     on  ZT       "    "''''  "'""  ""■■  "■^'<^''- 

niarkable  distance      M  -/^ 'i'^^'  shifted  a  most  re- 

■^"ppose  thattH^ad^r:;.  ;::,":f ';,:;^'' : -""  -"^ 

coast  of  Fra.i7    (ospf  In    1  unknown  west 

whicl,  alwaj'on  nn,  •  ,"■  ?  ""'  '"^■■^"-■™-  '-^^ 

and  which      .e"r  f",  /'  ""  "'"'"<''  ^"'^  '--L 

and  Spit  .;;ro    ';•'". '^T""   "'""J"-'  ^and 
1   i^uLic^en.     ot  one  tuner  howpvor  t  ,.  ^ 

"ameI3^  that  by  steerino-  sonfh  "  ,  '  '^"^'^''^"^ ' 

Jast  come  to  Sr^^^t.  "  "''  «outInvest  we  must  at 

come  to  hp,t/bei-gen,  our  actual  croal  where  wp  d,     u 

find  Norwecrfnn  Avo]....     i  ,       .^^'^'' ^^''cie  we  should 

at   once       We       o  "'"•"''''''  "'"'''  '^l-' "-^  l>on,e 

a  aroe  piece  of  ^ll     T'""  ^"'  """"«''  '''''-  "'■■  '«>"«! 
'"be  able  to  cross  over  the  s  ^  t    etcn"'''f  '""" 

"t^rt  s  s :  r  "-'•"--' ™^ 

»'-,andwr,::.tSj;-f:,;^;"-a„,the 

r";5;i-jT^^.;;''-r'-"'-^™"— 

lat.  and     ,-     F    ,     /"'    ""T'  '"  '^'""^  ''°   '^'  N- 


,1! 


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^w^^A..  /^  rm  ^^o^^^  ,ro^^,, 


expect  to  arrive  in  tim*.  f^  ^   j 

where  we  should  acco'd  „11  '"^  '*"''''  «""«  '^""'^■-"d 

■•"g  time  enough  to Tav  "n^       '  '°  """"'  '^'^o"'  hav- 

fitted  for  wintering  in  and  tL  '''''"^'^  '''=""=d  ^^^" 

opportunity  for  getti";   " „      "  TZ"^  '°  '^'^  ^"«^-"' 
'--  and  P^parf  forlTnter         °"''"  "  ^^"'  '°  ^'°P 

-"^"rtCert-tttitn-'- 

however,  the   manipulation   oftl,.       u  ' '"°  "«="■ 

attended  with  considera    e  J       W     haT  tT'™'^   ^""^ 
"P  dragging  them  upon  hnd  or        ,      .      '"''  *°  S'^^ 
only  expedient  wa,  to  1   ''h         "    "  *'  '"'^^  ^"^  our 
-oving  the  hide  Ld  Wubbe     d"  '"  ""  "^'"-  ''''•''  ^- 
succeeded  in  gettin.  our  n    '     Tl^  ''^'"^  P'°''^^  we 
rated  with  oil^nd  dirt     hu  "  T^'  ""^^^hly  satu- 
unfitted  for  protection  a;anst  I'       ""^   "^'"  P'^™'''-'riy 
There  was  no  scarcity  of  bel  s  ^  T"'  '°"  "'^  ''°^"^- 
winter  store  of  food      After  I '  T  "'°'  '"^^"^  '<"■  "U'" 

supply,  we  set  to  work  on  J    T^  '^'^  '"  ■-•  '«"Pomry 
«tone,  earth,  and  moss      Hn  "'  "^"'^  ""^^  ^uilt  of 

ifiv'";""  '^''^"^^oZzr  t::i^T'' 

TWs  w7us°ed  as  L''rWgepiec"'rt,n'  "rorlTshoI 
walrus  hides  over  it,  weth  ed  at    k       T'"'"^  '"''''^'^'^ 
with  large  stones.     On  thetoo  !f   V  ^^''  °"  '^°*  ^''^e^ 
build  a  chimney  was  not  ea!  \"'  ''''"  ^"°*-     To 

necessary.  Our'onJ  el^m"  "  ^'  ""'  "^^  ^^™- 
of  ice  and  snow,  which  had  0^1'"  "*"  '°  '^"'"  ■■' 
o-hree  times  in  the  coursf  ortheMr^ '  '~^-  '- 

"uhbLrd  :L:t:'\:;s  f,e:ri  n  -^^^  "^'- 

nesn  and  fat  was  our  only 


i. 


'I'i    t 


^ome,  and 
^out  hav- 
prepara- 
med  well 
sufficient 
t  to  stop 

:lie  blub- 
wo  men, 
als   was 

to  give 
ind  our 
hile  re- 
-ess  we 
y  satu- 
:uliarly 
5torms. 
'or  our 
porary 
lilt  of 
-emed 

how- 
'hore. 
tched 
sides 
To 
ones 
Id  it 

two 

Irus 
)nly 


T/f£:   GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDITION  285 

food.     In  the  evening  we  fried  it  in  a  large  aluminiun^ 
frying-pan  ;  in  the  morning  we  boiled  it.     We  made  our 
bed  and  sleeping-bag  of  bear-skin.     To  keep  warmer,  we 
both   slept   in  one    bag,  and,  taken    altogether,  we  were 
quite  comfortable  in  our  low  hut,  of  which  a  great  part 
lay  below  the  level  of  the  ground,  and  was  therefore  fairiy 
well  protected  from  the  violent  winter  storms  which  con- 
tmually  raged    above  it.     By  the  help  of   our  lamps  we 
succeeded    m  keeping   the   temperature  inside  at   about 
freezmg-point,  while  on  the  walls  it  was,  of  comse,  consid- 
erably lower.    These  were  covered  with  a  thick  coating  of 
frost  and  ice,  which  in  the  lamplight  imparted  a  beautiful 
marmoreal  appearance  to  the  walls  of  the  hut,  so  that  in 
our  happier  moments  we  could  dream  that  we  dwelt  in 
marble  halls.     The  hut  was  about  ten  feet  long,  six  feet 
broad,  and  high  enough  in  some  places  to  allow  of  our 
standing  almost  erect.     Our  couch  was  formed  of  rough 
stones  ;  we   never  quite  succeeded  in  getting  it  even   tol- 
erably level,  and  our  most  important  business  throughout 
the  winter  was,  therefore,  to  bend  the  body  into  the  most 
varied  positions  in  order  to  discover  the  one  in  which  the 
pressure  of  the  stones  was  least  felt. 

We  had  no  work  which  could  help  to  make  the  time 
pass:   we  did   little   else   than   sleep,  eat,  and   then  sleep 
again.     If  r.ny  one  still  holds  the  old  belief  that  scurvy 
arises  from  want  of  exercise,  this  is  a  striking  proof  that 
such  IS  not  the  case.     Strange  to  say,  our  appetites  con- 
tmued   unimpaired  the  whole   time,  and  we  always  con- 
sumed  our  bear's  flesh  and  our  fat  with  the  same  voracity 
When   the  weather  permitted,  we  would  take  an  hour's 
walk  every  day  in  the  dark  outside  the  hut ;  but  often  it 
was  so  stormy  that  it  was  not  expedient  to  put  one's  nose 


41 


i    I 


if,(  f 


y 

'  ■  i 

-i 

'ii 

if  ^ 

UL.       . 

?S6 
beyond  th( 


AUJVS£Ar  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORL 
which 


D 


passage  which  led  to  our  palace.    Several  aays 
woulu  often  pass  in  which  we  lay  quite  still,  until  .f  last  a 
scarcity  of  ice  to  melt  for  drink  inc.- water,  or  of  food,  com- 
pelled us  to  go  out  to  fetch  ice  or  to  drag  in  die  carcass  or 
eg  of  a  bear.     After  November  we  were  not  visited  again 
by  bears  until  March,  and  our  only  company  in  the  winter 
was  a  number  of  foxes  which  constantly  sat  upon  the  roof 
ot  our  hut,  whence  we  could  hear  their  perpetual  gnawing 
at  our  frozen   meat.     It  made  us   often   dream   that  we 
vyero  sitting  comfortably  at  home  lis^  ning  to  the  rats  in 
he   lo ft   above;   and  we  by  no  means  grudged    them  a 
li  tie  of  all  our  abundance.     These  foxes  were  of  both  <he 
white  variety  and    he  valuable  dark-furred  kind,  and  had 
we  been  so  inclined  we  could  easily  have  la.d  by  a  good 
store  of  valuable  furs.     Our  supply  of  ammunitL,  how- 
ever was  not  so  la^-ge  as  to  allow,  in  my  opinion,  of  our 
spending  it  upon  them,  for  it  seemed  to  me  that  bears 
were  the  smallest  game  that  could  give  us  any  return  for 
our  cartridges. 

Upon  the  ^vhole,  the  winter  passed  in  a  manner  beyond 
our  expectation.     Our   health  was  excellent;  and    if  we 
had  only  had  a  few  books,  a  little  floi,.,  and  a  little  sugar 
we  were  both  agreed  that  we  could  have  lived  like  lords    ' 
At  last  came  spring  with  sunshine  and   birds.     How 
well  I  remember  that  first  evening,  a  few  days  before  the 
sun  had  appeared  above  the  horizon,  when  we  suddenly 
saw  a  flock  of  little  auks  ^otges)  sail  past  us  along  the 
mountams  to  the   north.     It  was  like   the  first  greeting 
from   ,fe  and  spring.     Many  followed  in  their  train,  and 
soon  the  mountains  around  us  swarmed  with  these  little 
summer  visitors  of  the  north,  which  enlivened  everythin.^ 
w.th  their  cheerful  twittering.     A  dark  sky,  which  we  had 


THE    GREAT  SLEDGE   EXPEDITION 


287 


line; 


had  t  -:  vx'hole  winter,  but  especially  now  in  the  spring,  in 
th(.  south  and  southwest,  seemed  to  imply  that  there  must 
be  water  in  that  direction,  of  which  it  was  a  reflection. 
We  had,  therefore,  every  hope  of  making  a  quick  and 
easy  voyage  in  our  k-^iaks  across  to  Spitzbergen,  partly 
over  open  water,  partly  over  drift  ice;  and  as  daylight 
had  now  returned,  we  busied  ourse^/es  in  preparations  for 
this  journey. 

There  was  much,  however,  to  be  done  before  we  could 
set  off.  Our  clothes  were  so  worn  out  and  so  saturated 
with  fat  and  diit,  that  they  were  anything  but  suitable  for 
a  journey  of  this  kind.  We  therefore  made  ourselves 
two  entire  new  suits  out  of  two  blankets  we  had  brought 
with  us.  Our  underclothing  we  tried  to  wash  as  best  we 
rould,  but  never  before  did  I  know  what  it  was  to  exist 
without  soap.  It  was  difficult  enough  to  get  one's  person 
clean,  but  this  we  managed  to  a  certain  extent  by  rubbino- 
in  bear's  blood  and  fat,  and  then  rubbing  tliis  oT  with 
moss.  But  this  process  was  not  applicable  to  clothes. 
After  trying  every  possible  way,  we  found,  in  cur  despair, 
no  other  expedient  than  to  boil  them  as  best  we  could, 
and  then  scrape  them  with  a  knife.  In  this  way  we  got 
so  much  off  them  that  they  did  to  travel  with,  though  the 
thought  of  putting  on  clean  clothes  when  we  once  more 
got  back  to  Norway  was  always  in  our  minds  as  the 
greatest  enjoyment  that  life  could  bestow.  We  had  to 
make  a  new  sleeping-bag  of  bear-skins,  which  we  dried 
and  prepared  by  stretching  them  out  under  the  roof  of 
our  hut.  Our  good,  precious  silk  tent,  which  we  had  had 
during  the  whole  of  the  preceding  year's  journey,  had  at 
last,  during  the  autumn  storms,  become  so  worn  out  that 
I  did  no'   think  it  could  be  used  any  more.     We  were 


■J'  'I 


ik 


i^'f'^i 


t!'    Hi 


f   1 


,i 


flesh  and  fa^nd  ourft       "  T"''  "'"  '^'^''^''y  ^-^'^ 
we  were  sure  of  findig     ffi'e  r"  °"  =""'  '"'"^'^^^-  -^^ 

5'N    lat    1  ^'  ™''*''^-      "n  May  .,   {„  g," 

5   ^^-  Jat.,  we  came  to  the  fM^n,.        ^        ,     ^  ^'  ^"  ^^ 

the  whole  winter  and  „  W      '       r""'  °'  "''''^h,  during 

above  .he  hor   on     and  ?  ^'  "'  ^'^  ""^  **=  -«-'i°" 

of  going  south  rriL"lr°''r  "  *^  "^™^'^' 
"s  until  June  t      The.e    !         ^       "'  ''°"'=^"'  detained 

"-e  ice,  a  favorable  t'  ic   p  ™  r,  ""^  ^^^"^  -"'"  over 
sails  on  our  sledges  so  f  f        ""^  "^  '°  ""ake   use  of 

'i".efartlK.rsofth    ve    o  :;fr"^^'''S°''^-'-     '^ 
whose  northern  coast   st,^",    .       ""™    '™''   "'   '^"'l' 

■To  the  west.north:::t:c: ,:'- -f '^  '"'=^"•""• 

I  was  in  doubt  for  a  while  is  ^  ?.  ^  °'''"  ^™'"^''- 
to  take  to  the  water  td  "  ":'''""=^  '"''  ""S'^t  not 
"nought  that  this  wo'ddi-,  'T  '"  ''■■"  ^''■'■'^^'»"'  >"" 
therefore  preferred  to  1  u       "'  '"°  f"  "orth,  an<l 

^-0,  un^noj:  stm:r:tT,r  IT  ''■^""•'^'^  '^ 
mitted  the  employment  of  si  T^'"  "'"^  P'^'" 

-'  a,„ng  at  a'  reiiiy  eL:  ■d::i:;::: ''''''-' '"'  -^^ 

of   water,   extending   .estU    'X    '^^  "T  ""'^ 
The  wind  was  still  favorable      R    ,  ""'   ''"•■"*'• 

^aiaks,  rigging  up  a  Hb  i,  rS  ^^rr""':  "" '^^° 
then  hoisung  our  sled<.e  s-,  '  ""  ""•'"'•  and 

npon  this  o^en  ..llrt^^Z  "7  •^"^,  '°  ^='" 

S   I'lt  coast,  and  in  this  way 


sails  as  a 
'^Gfiy  bear's 
^bber,  and 
way  when 

d   started 
J3.  in  Si° 
h,  during 
reflection 
thought 
detained 
ce  to  set 
uth  over 
:   use  of 
•ate.     A 
5f  land, 
rection. 
'  water. 
?ht  not 
3n,  but 
th,  and 
ough  a 
id  per- 
il d  we 

of  the 

piece 
coast, 
r  two 
I,  and 
)  sail 

wa)' 


i» 


'ii 


I  il 


290 


11 1 - 


MATSEM  m  THE  PMOZBN  WOELD 


In  this «^; we ;t ito r "■^""! p^^^'«' -• 

point  of  the  Lu!  of     ,     .      '^';°''''    "'"  southwestern 
o£  being  ablf  r:"^:  ;t::f to'!!'  -i°-d  ^t  the  thought 

course  of  a  fe.  w^ee^  we  we  ^  S^r  "h  """t  '"  '"'^ 
homeward-bound  Norwegian  vessel  °"  '""■''  '^ 

come  south  thmnrrl.  n     -J  ,  A-aiid,  and   had 

ft    lu  uic    ice  to  reconnoitre    om-  firfK«.. 
westward,     fn  leavfno- th,  1    •  1  "^'^^'   ^''^y 

'"cly  w,.hout  resource.     Our  only  .afe.y'lay  in  reachhi" 


r; 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDITION  291 

our  kaiaks,  and  I  had  no  choice  but  to  spring  into  the 
water  and  try  to  reach  them  by  swimming. 

It  was,  however,  a  struggle  for  life,  for  the  kaiaks 
seemed  to  drift  more  -apidly  before  the  wind  than  I  could 
swim ;  the  icy  water  gradually  robbed  my  whole  body  of 
feeling,  and  it  became  more  and  more  difficult  to  use  my 
limbs.  At  length  I  reached  the  side  of  our  craft ;  but  it 
was  only  by  summoning  up  my  last  energies  that  I  finally 
succeeded  in  getting  on  board,  and  we  were  saved. 

Two  days  later  my  kaiak   was  atta  ..ed  by  a  walrus. 
These  monsters  had  tried  several  times  to  put  an  end  to 
us  by  suddenly  coming  up  from  below,  and  attacking  the 
kaiak  with  a  violent  blow,  which  might  easily  have  upset 
us,  but  this  they  had  hitherto  not  succeeded   in  doing. 
This  time,  however,  the  attack  was  more  violent.     The 
walrus  suddenly  pushed  up  beside  my  kaiak,  and,  laying 
one   flipper  on   its   edge,  tried   to  upset  it,  at  the   same 
tmie  driving  its  long  tusks  into  the  bottom,  fortunately, 
however,  without  touching  me.     I  managed  to  give  the 
walrus  such  a  blow  on  the  head  with  the  paddle''  that  it 
rose  high   up  out  of  the  water,  threatening  to  fall  upon 
me,  but  disappeared  the  next  moment  as  quickly  as  it  had 
come.      The  water  was  raiihing  into  the  kaiak  through 
the  long  rent  made  in  the  bottom  by  the  walrus,  ancT  I 
was  sinking  rapidl>,and  only  at  tne  last  moment  managed 
to  run  my  kaiak  on  to  a  floe  that  was  projecting  under 
the  water,  and  escaped  in  safety  from  the  boat  on  to  the 
ice.    The  next  day  was  employed  in  repairing  the  kaiak, 
and  in  drying  clothe^,  outfit,  photographic  apparatus,  etc.,' 
which  were  all  soaked  with  sea-water,  though  fortunately 
no  real  harm  was  done. 

The  following  day,  when   we   were  about  to  continue 


ih    I 

ifff    ' 


% 


H  ■ 


m 


r '1 


=9'  NAMSEJV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

Zi^  ":'  "  '  "'"  J"^'  '^'•^^='""8  breakfast  before 

me  torn    h    T1  ■   ""'"'  °'  ™'"^  ^^"^  *"»-  'o 

me  from   the    and,  carrying  a  confused   noise  from  the 

housands  of  loons  and  other  sea-birds  which  inh  bit  d 

vo  ces,  1  suddenly  started  at  a  completely  different  sound 
->l>.ch  so  much  resembled  the  barking  of  a  dog  that  fo 
a  moment  ,t  seemed  to  me  that  there^ould  be^^o  dot 
of  .'ts  be,ng  th,s.     But  then  it  was  once  ntore  lost  ,'      e 
nc.se  of  the  birds,  and  ,  thought  I  n,ust  have  bee:  ml! 
taken.     Agan,,  however,  the  wind  brought  over  a  fresh 
^f-eam  o    sound,  which  left  no  doubt  whatever  of  there 
actually  bang  dogs  in  the  neighborhood.     I   ran  down 
.  Kl  waked  Johansen  in   the  sleeping-bag  by  saying,  '•  I 
have  heard  dogs  !  "     But  I  could  not  make  him  compre 
end,  so  I  gulped  down  my  breakfast,  put  on  „,y  ski,  ixl 
dashed  off  across  the  ice.     As  ,  approached  the  shore 
saw  a  man  comu,g  toward  me.     It  was  Mr.  Jackson  and 
hearty  was  the  handshake  with  which  he  welcon'ed  me 

[In  order  to  make  the  narrative  nmre  con,plete,  as  well 
as  to  g,ve  merited  recognition  to  one  of  the  leading  recent 
enterprises  ,„  the  field  of  Arctic  research,  we  will  ^ay  that 
he  gentleman  whom  Dr.  Nansen  so  opportunely  nL  at 
h.s  critical  time  was  Mr.   F.   G.   Jack.son,  leader  of  the 
Jackson-Harmsworth   expedition    which   left   linglan,!   in 
'«94.     Veiy  soon  after  the   meeting  of   these  ^.vplorers 
one  of  the  members  of  the  Jackson  party  came   to  the 
Nansen  camp      He  was  closely  followed  by  four  compan- 
;on.s.        hey  all  gave  Lieutenant  Johansen  a  cordial  .rreet- 
mg.  and  then  escorted  him  to  the  headquarters  of   the 
expedition. 


I.i 


' 


ast  before 
)itre  land- 
across  to 
from  the 
inhabited 
lese  bird- 
it  sound, 

that  for 
lo  doubt 
■it  in  the 
ccn  mis- 

a  fresh 
of  there 
n   down 
^ing,  "  I 
conip  re- 
ski,  and 
shore  I 
on,  and 
I  me. 
as  well 
;  recent 
ay  that 
met  at 
of  the 
uid    in 
jlorers 
to  the 
mj)an- 


T/fJi   GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDITION 


293 


.i^reet- 


)f   the 


i 
f 


H* 


iV 


wt 


'•^^  ^■^^■ 


MEETING  OK   DR.  NANSKN    AND    MR.   JACKSON    ,N    KRANZ  JOSEF   LAND.  JUNK.  ,896 
IByfcrmUsiono/Mr  Alfred  C.  ffarn.sworth,  0/ the  Jackson-ffarm.uorth  erfiediUon) 

Before  organizing  this  expedition  Mr.  Jackson  had  seen 
a  good  deal  of  Arctic  work,  and  had  won  distinction  by 
making,  in  connection  with  his  investigations,  a  sledge 
journey  of  four  thousand  miles.  For  a^long  time  he  had 
desired  to  explore  Franz  Josef  Land  and  the  area  to  the 
north  of  this  comparatively  unknown  region.     His  plans 


ill 


■  <    |i 


If 


y  ' 


!!■" 


r; 


,   i 


i  i; 


294 


ATAJ^S^JV  fjv  THE  FJiOZBW  WOULD 


were  carefully  laid,  and  they  seemed  so  practicable  th.t 
he  was  enabled,  under  the  most  favorable  conditions  to 
make  an  effort  to  put  them  into  execution.  He  found  \ 
munificent  patron  in  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Harmsworth  1 
ber  of  the  Royal  Geographical  ^oc^^ZT^^t^:^' 
sented  to  bear  the  whole  expense  of^'the^ex^S  bTt" 
also  gave  a  great  deal  of  time  and  personal  ffor't.C 
secunng  as  complete  an  equipment  as'it  was  possible  : 

A  whaler  named  the  Windward,  an  exceedingly  strong 

se:v'ic:  i'n  'th  '  '""  ^™"""^'  ^''^  ^P-'^'  -^--  t? 
s  ^m  vac  's '  "",  r"'"''  ^"'  ^^--si.^^A  into  a 
steam  yacht.     Several  boats  of  different  types  were  built 

nd  seventeen  sledges,  of  an  impro^ed  pa'ttern  desig    d 
by  Ml.  Jackson,  were  made.     Tents,  materials  ready  to  be 
pu    together  for  houses  and  a  large  supply  of  ex'cl 
scientific  instruments  also  formed  a  part  of  the  outfit 
For  the  first  'ime  in  the  histoiy  of  Arctic  exploration  a 
ew  pon^s  were  taken  for  use  in  travelling  and  in  hauling 
loads.     These  were   obtained   at   Archangel,  and   thirty 
dogs  were  secured  from  Western  Siberia. 

The   Windward  sailed  from  Greenhithe  on  the  after- 
noon  of  July  u,  left  Archangel  early  in  August,  and  pro- 

Hith  his  fow  companions,  established  his  headquarters 
The  settlement,  which  consisted  of  seven  huts,  was  named 
Elmwood.     The   Windward  returned  home,  and  was  on 

her  second   voyage   to   the   station   when    Nansen   and 

Johansen  became  the  guests  of  its  inmates 
The  primary  object  of  this  expedition  was  to  make  a 

thorough  exploration  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  both  of  the 

coast  and  of  the  interior,  and  thus  determine  whether  it 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDIITON 


295 


ible  that 
itions,  to 
found  a 
a  mem- 
nly  con- 
-ion,  but 
ffort  in 
sible  to 

strong 
ence  to 

into  a 
•e  built, 
^signed 
y  to  be 
cellent 

outfit, 
ition  a 
auling 

thirty 


is  the  southern  portion  of  a  great  polar  continent  or  a 
collection  of  islands.  In  this  work  Mr.  Jackson  has  been 
very  successful,  having  discovered  many  islands,  and  an 
important  body  of  water  which  he  has  named  Queen 
Victoria  Sea.  As  nearly  or  quite  all  that  is  required  in 
this  direction  has  been  performed,  it  is  understood  that  in 
the  spring  or  summer  of  the  present  year  (1897),  Mr. 
Jackson  will  take  up  the  secondary,  though  very  interest- 
ing and  important  work  of  the  expedition,  and  either  upon 
the  open  water  or  the  frozen  surface  of  this  great  sea, 
according  to  its  condition  at  the  time,  commence  a  voyage 
or  a  journey  which  will  be  continued  as  far  as  possible 
toward  the  Pole.] 


after- 
d  pro- 
:kson, 
irters. 
amed 
as  on 
and 

ike  a 
•  the 
er  it 


IP 


fi", 


'\   I 


•  rJ  i 


«    I 


CHAPTER   XVr 

HOMEWARD    BOUND 

We  were  received  here  with  a  hospitah'ty  and   hearti- 
ness  such  as  those  Arctic  surroundings  can  seldom  have 
w.tnessed  ;  and  though  we  had  fully  intended  to  go  on  our 
«-ay  to  Spitsbergen,  which  would  probably  be  our  quick- 
est way  home,  we  could  not  tear  ourselves  away  from  this 
hospitable  spot,  again  renounce  all  the  ease  and  comfort 
«;H.ch  were  here  offered  to  us,  and  once  more  take  our 
Ngnms  stafif  into  our  hand.     We  decided  to  accept  the 
kmd  mv,tat,o„  to  wait  for  the  ;f^Wz.«.<^,  which  was  soon 
to  arrive,  and  then  again  return  to  Europe 

Never  shall  I  forget  how  delightful  it  was.  as  soon  as 
we  entered  Jackson's  comfortably  arranged  house,  to  have 
a  warm  bath.      It  was  not.  indeed,  possible  to  become 
clean  the  first  time,  but  still  it  imparted  a  feeling  of  clean- 
mess ;  and  then  delightfully  soft,  clean  woollen  garments 
to  follow,  to  be  shaved  and  have  one's  hair  cut  have  a 
capita    dinner,  coffee,  cigars,  port  wine,  and,  last  but  not 
east,  books  and  the  latest  literature  (two  years  old.  indeed 
l>ut  new   o  us) -in  short,  we  felt  all  at  once  transported 
as  ,f  by  the  stroke  of  a  magic  wand,  into  the  heart  of  civ^ 
il...at,on.     The  attention,  the  consideration,  which  every 
member  of  this  expedition  offered  us  was  touching,  and 
made  an  indelible  impression  on  both  of  us.     It  seemed 
as  f  their  aim  was  to  soften  by  their  kindness  the  recol- 
lection of  last  winter's  loneliness  and  dreariness. 


lii 


HOMEWARD  BOUND 


297 


OR.    NANSF.N,    AS     PHOTOCiRAPHK D     BY    MR.     JACKSON     IMMEDI.-.TF.LY     AFTKR     TIIKIR 
MF.ETING    IN    FRANZ   JOSEF   LAND,    IN    JIINE,    1896 

(By  per  mission  of  ."r.  Alfred  C.  Harmstvorth,  of  the  Jackson-Harmsworth  expedition.) 


;>'  ; 


We  now  discovered  that  my  suspicions,  as  indicated 
above,  were  correct.  We  were  actually  on  the  south  coast 
of  Franz  Josef  Land,  and  had  arrived  at  Cape  Flora,  on 
Northbrook  Island.  Our  observations  and  determination 
of  longitude  were  fairly  correct,  in  spite  of  everything, 
ind  our  chronometers  proved  to  have  been  right.  On 
the    other   hand,   there   were   mistakes    in    Payer's   map, 


'i..\P 


■I  't 


If  J 


lie: 


tU  I 


298 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


which  had  put  me  on  the  wrong  track — mistakes  of 
which  I  have  not  yet  found  an  explanation,  but  will  find, 
it  is  to  be  hoped,  on  conferring  more  closely  with  Payer 
himself. 

The  broad  sound,  through  which  we  had  come  south 
this  spring  lay  ji-^t  a  little  west  of  Austria  Sound,  and 
was  considerably  larger  than  the  last-named  sound.  It 
had  already  been  traversed  by  Jackson,  and  called  by  him 
the  British  Channel. 

During  the  winter  we  had  been  encamped  just  to  the 
west  of  Austria  Sound,  on  an  island  which  I  have  called 
Frederick   Jackson's    Island.     Before  we  set  out  on  our 
expedition,  I  stated,  in  my  lecture  before  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,  my  opinion  that  Franz  Josef  Land  was 
only  a  group  of   islands.      This  opinion    has  now  been 
fully  confirmed.     Franz  Josef  Land  is  not  only  a  group 
of   islands,  but  a  group  of   little   islands  of   such    small 
extent  as  perhaps  no  one  had  thought  possible.     In  my 
opinion  the  islands  forming   Franz  Josef   Land  may  be 
considered  as  a  continuation  of  East  Spitzbergen,  and  the 
most  important,  most  interesting  subject  yet  to  be  worked 
out  is  the  exploration  of  the  still  unknown  western  part 
of  Franz  Josef  Land  and  its  connection  with  Spitzbergen. 
In  this  region  there  are  probably  many  new  islands  which 
it  is  to  be  hoped  Jackson  and  his  expedition  will  have  an 
opportunity  of  discovering  and  charting.     How  far  north 
the  islands  extend  it  is  not  yet  possible  to  determine,  but 
it  is  scarcely  likely  to  be  very  far. 

I  will  not  venture  an  opinion  as  to  whether  Petermann 
Land  has  any  existence  ;  our  course  was  so  easterly  that 
it  may  well  have  been  too  far  off  to  be  seen ;  but  in  that 
case  it  must  be  an  island  of  inconsiderable  extent.     The 


HOMEWARD   BOUND 


299 


whole  of  that  part  of  Franz  Josef  Land  traversed  by  us 
consisted   of  basalt,  and    has  once  formed  a  continuous 
basaltic  land,  which  is  now,  however,  by  numerous  chan- 
nels and  fjords,  cut  up  into  small  islands,  entirely  or  in 
great  measure  covered  with  glaciers,  and  where  only  here 
and  there   along  the  shore    the  dark   basaltic  rocks  are 
visible.     As  a  rule  the  land  does  not  rise  to  a  height  of 
2,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  only  occasionally  did  the  gla- 
ciers seem  to  approach  to  a  height  of  3,000  feet.     On  the 
south  side  of  the  country  there  is,  beneath  the  basalt,  a 
deep  stratum  of  clay  which  extends  to  a  height  of  from 
500  to  600  feet  above  the  sea,  and  which  belongs  to  the 
Jura  formation,  and  where  both  Dr.  Koetlitz,  of  the  Jack- 
son expedition,  and  I  found  numerous  fossils  of  various 
kinds,  chiefly  Ammonites  and  Belemnites,  which  leave  no 
doubt  as  to  its  age.     As  far  as  I  can  for  the  present  say,  a 
large  part  of  this  clay  belongs  to  the  so-called  Oxford  clay. 
Lignite  ai.d  fossil  wood  were  also  common  in  these  clay 
strata.     In  a  few  places  numerous  fossil  plants  were  also 
found,  whose  age  I  have  not  yet  had  time  to  determine,  but 
which  probably  belong  to  a  later  formation  than  the  Jura. 
In  the  mean  time  the  days  at  Cape  Flora  passed  imper- 
ceptibly.    We  spent  our  time  partly  in  making  scientific 
excursions  of  small  extent,  partly  in  reading,  writing,  and 
preparing  a  map  of  our  route  across  Franz  Josef  Land 
as  it  appeared,  according  to  our  investigations,  to  be.     In- 
cessantly did  we  scan  the  horizon  in  expectation  of  the 
Windward,  the  ship  which  was  to  come  from  Europe ; 
but   a  great   quantity  of   ice  lay  in     he  sea   outside,  no 
sail  appeared  on  the  horizon,  and  as  time  went  on  we  be- 
came more  and  more  impatient,  and  more  and  more  often 
did  anxious  remark.  Tail  on  the  possibility  of  the  ice  hin- 


?  ;j 


W^' 

r 

||i: 

fl.' 

i 

1 

1 

8        iW     ' 

f.     '^ 

1 

1 

\u 


n\  .1 1 


300 


JV^JVS£JV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


dering  the  Windward  from  coming  in  tliis  year.  When 
a  month  hud  passed,  Johansen  and  I  began  to  repent  a 
little  that  we  had  stopped  here,  and  had  not  gone  straight 
on  to  Spitzbergen,  where  we  should  probably  long  before 
this  have  found  a  ship  and  been  on  our  way  home.  I 
began  to  think,  indeed,  of  setting  off  again,  as  I  was  un- 
willing to  risk  passing  another  winter  in  the  Arctic  re- 
gions. I  was  tolerably  certain  that  the  Fram  would  come 
home  this  year,  and  would  then,  of  course,  throw  our 
friends  into  the  greatest  anxiety  witli  regard  to  our  fate ; 
there  would  then  hardly  have  been  an>-  hope  at  home  of 


ever  seemg  us  again. 


At  length,  when  six  weeks  had. passed,  I  was  suddenly 
aroused  one  night  by  Mr.  Jackson  with  the  news  that  the 
Windward  had  arrived.  The  cheers  and  joyful  exclama- 
tions with  which  the  news  of  our  arri\-al  at  Cape  Flora 
were  received  on  board  the  Windioard  were  proofs  of  such 
great  and  sincere  delight  that  we  could  hardly  have  ex- 
pected greater  from  our  own  countrymen.  It  was  a  fresh 
demonstration  of  the  sympathy  which  exists  between  the 
English  and  Norwegian  nations. 

The  stores  brought  for  the  Jackson  ex])edition  were 
soon  unshipped  from  the  Windward,  and  by  the  aid  of 
sledges  dragged  over  the  ice  to  land.  In  less  than  a  week 
all  was  ready;  and  as  soon  as  letters  and  telegrams  for 
home  were  ^^Titten,  on  August  7,  we  went  on  board,  and 
the  Windward  weighed  anchor  to  make  for  home. 

On  board  the  ship  we  had  the  shortest  and  pleasantest 
homeward  journey  that  perhaps  any  Arctic  expedition  has 
ever  had.  We  again  experienced  English  hospitality  to 
its  fullest  extent,  and  those  days  can  certainly  never  be 
forgotten  by  either  Johansen  or  myself. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND 


301 


There  was  a  great  deal  of  ice  in  the  .^ea  between  Franz 
Josef  Land  and  Nova  Zembia,  and  it  would  certainly 
have  been  only  too  easy  to  r.:n  the  little  Windward  so 
far  into  the  closely  packed  ice  that  it  wciiJ  have  taken 
weeks  and  months  to  get  out  again.  But  with  his  great 
experience  and  his  clear-sightedness  in  all  that  concerned 
ice  and  ice  navigation,  Captain  Brown,  the  old  whaler 
under  whose  command  the  Windward  now  was,  knew 
how  to  find  just  the  only  way  that  would  be  certain  to 
take  us  through  220  miles  of  ice  out  into  the  open  sea  to 
the  nortli  of  Nova  Zembia,  and  thence  shape  a  straight 
course  for  Varclo,  where  we  arrived  on  August  13,  six 
days  after  having  left  Cape  Flora. 

Thus  I  and  one  man  of  my  expedition  had  now  come 
to  our  native  land,  v/here  we  were  received  with  open 
arms.  Our  first  ques''  1  after  setting  foot  on  Norwegian 
soil  was  whether  an)  diing  had  been  heard  of  the  Fram 
and  our  comrades.  Our  fear  the  whole  winter  and  spring 
had  been  that  the  Fratn  would  reach  home  before  us. 
To  our  relief,  however,  we  now  learned  that  nothing  had 
been  heard  of  the  Fram,  and  our  friends  had  been  saved 
from  unnecessary  anxiety.  I  telegraphed  immediately  to 
the  King  of  Norway  and  the  Norwegian  Government  that 
all  was  well  on  board  the  Fram  when  we  left  her,  and  that 
I  fully  expected  her  and  the  remaining  members  of  the 
expedition  home  again  safe  and  sound  in  a  short  time. 

Great,  then,  was  the  joy  when,  in  Hammerfest,  on  Au- 
gust 2  r  1  received  a  telegram  from  Skjarvo,  a  little  port 
not  far  off,  to  say  that  the  Fram  had  arrived  in  the  night, 
all  well  on  board. 


I  1;   , 


\\h 


!■ 


^1^ '  I! 


i»    I 


!•      '.I 


CHAPTER   XVII 

HOW    THE    "FRAM"    FARED— SVERDRUP's    STORY 

When  I  left  the  Fram,  I  gave  instructions  to  Svcrdrup 
Amoi:g  other  things  they  ran  thus:  "The  chief  aim  of  the 
expedition  is  to  push  througli  the  unknoun    Polar  Sea 
from   the  district    around    iVew  Siberia    north  of    P^-anz 
Josef  Land,  out  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean  near  Spitzber^en 
or  Greenland.     The  principal  part  of  this  task  I  conskler 
we  have  already  accomplished;    -the  rest  will  be  accom- 
plished httle  by  little  as  the  expedition  goes  farther  nest 
In  order  to  make  the  expedition  yet  nu,re  productive,  I 
will  make  an  attempt  to  push  on  farther  to  the  north  with 
dogs.     Your  duty  will  then  be  to  bring  the  lives  hereby 
entrusted  to  you  home  by  the  safest  way,  and  not  .o  ex- 
pose them  t.,  needless  danger,  either  out  of  regard  to  the 
ship,  cargo,  or  results  of  the  expedition. 

"  How  long  it  may  be  before  the  Fram  drifts  out  into 
open   water  no  one  can    tell.     You    have   provisions  for 
several  years;   but  should  it,  for  some  unknown  reason 
tr>ke  t(,o  long,  or  should  the  crew  begin  to  suiYer  in  health' 
or  you  for  any  other  reason  consider  it  best  to  abandon' 
the  vessel,  this  should  unqueslionably  be  done.     At  what 
time  It  should  take  place,  as  also  the  way  that  ou^ht  to 
be  chosen,  you  yourself  will  be  best  able  to'  judge.    Should 
.t  be  necessary,  I  consider  Franz  Josef  Land  and  Spitz- 
l^ergen    to  be  the  best  lands  to  make  for.     If   search  is 
"I'ade  for  the  expedition  after  Johansen's  and  my  arrival 


(  ) 


^^^ 


CAI'I'AIN    tilTU    NKUMANN    SVIKDKIM' 


304 


NAiVSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


M    I     f 


,1     ' 


tllii. 


Mi!!  •■ 


1 


flil: 


ii  .  i: 


^    ! 


home,  it  will  first  be  made  there.     When   you  come  to 
land  you   should   as  often  as  possible  erect  conspicuous 
cairns  on    promontories    and    projecting   headlands,   and 
within   each  cairn   place  a  short  statement  of  what  has 
been  done,  and  whither  you  are  going.     In  order  to  make 
these  cairns   distinguishable    from    others,   a  very    small 
cairn  should  be  erected  four  metres  from  the  laree  one 
in   a  northward  direction  by  the  magnet.      What  outfit 
will  be  the  best  in  case  of  the  abandoning  of  the  Fram  is 
a  question  we  have  so  often  discussed  that  I  consider  it 
superfluous  to  dwell  on  it  here.      I   know  that  you  will 
take  care  that  the  needful  number  of  kaiaks  for  all  the 
men,  sledges,  ski,  snow-shoes,  and  other  articles  of  outfit, 
are  put  in  order  as  soon  as  possible,  and  kept  in   readi- 
ness, so  that  such  a  journey  over  the  ice  could  be  under- 
taken with  the  greatest  possible  ease.     Information  as  to 
the  provisions   I    consider  most  suitable  for  a  journey  of 
this  kind,  and  the  c(uantity  necessary  for  each  man,  I  give 
elsewhere. 

"  I  know,  too,  that  you  will  hold  everything  in  readi- 
ness to  abandon  the  Fram  in  the  shortest  possible  time 
in  the  event  of  a  sudden  misfortune  befallintr  her  in  the 
shai)e  of  fire  or  pressure.  If  the  ice  permits,  I  consider 
it  advisable  that  there  should  always  be  a  depot,  with 
sufficient  provisions,  etc.,  upon  a  safe  place  on  the  ice, 
such  as  we  have  lately  had.  All  necessary  things  which 
cannot  be  ujjon  the  ice  ought  to  be  so  jjlaced  on  board 
that  they  are  easy  to  get  at  under  any  circumstances.  As 
you  know,  there  are  only  concentrated  sledge  provisions 
now  in  the  depot;  but  as  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  ex- 
pedition might  have  to  remain  quiet  for  some  time  before 
setting  off,  it  would  be  extremely  desirable  to  save  as  much 


HOW  THE     ''FRAM''   FARED 


305 


give 


tinned  meat,  fish,  and  vegetables  as  possible.  Should  dis- 
turbed times  come,  I  would  even  consider  it  advisable  to 
have  a  supply  of  these  articles  also  ready  on  the  ice. 

"  Should  the  Fram  in  drifting  bear  far  to  the  north  of 
Spitzbergen  and  get  into  the  current  under  the  east  coast 
of  Greenland,  many  possibilities  could  be  imagined,  which 
now  it  is  not  easy  to  form  any  opinion  about ;  but  should 
you  be  obliged  to  abandon  the  Fram,  and  make  for  the 
land,  it  would  be  best  for  you  to  erect  cairns,  as  mentioned 
above,  there  too,  as  search  might  possibly  be  made  for  the 
expedition  there.  In  that  case,  whether  you  ouiiht  to 
make  for  Iceland  (which  is  the  nearest  land,  and  whither 
you  would  be  able  to  go  in  the  spring  by  following  the 
edge  of  the  ice)  or  for  the  Danish  colonies  west  of  Cape 
Farewell,  you  will  be  better  able  to  judge  when  you  see 
the  circumstances. 

"  The  things  that  ought  to  be  taken  with  you,  if  the 
Fram  be  abandoned,  after  the  necessary  provisions,  are 
weapons,  ammunition,  and  outfit,  all  scientific  and  other 
journals,  observations,  all  scientific  collections  that  are  not 
too  heavy  (in  the  la.ter  case  small  samples  of  them),  pho- 
tographs, the  original  plntes  by  preference,  or  if  they  are 
too  heavy,  tlien  copies  of  them  —  the  areometer,  with 
which  most  of  the  observations  on  the  specific  gravity 
of  sea-water  are  made,  besides,  of  course,  all  journals  and 
memoranda  which  are  of  any  interest.  I  leave  behind 
two  or  three  journals  and  letters  which  I  will  request 
you  to  take  especial  care  of,  and  deliver  to  my  wife,  if 
I  should  not  come  liome,  or  you,  contrary  to  expectation, 
should  gel  home  l)efore  us. 

"  Hansen  and  Blessing  will,  as  you  know,  take  charge 
of  the  various  scientific  observations  and  collections;  you 


20 


if 


/H 


m 


306 


JVAJVS£A'  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


tW'  ■ 


\ 


m 

=- 1 

I- 

!    1 

i 


yourself  will  see  to  the  soundings,  and  that  they  are  taken 
as  often  as  opportunity  permits.  As  the  crew  was  small 
before,  and  will  now  be  still  further  reduced  by  two  men, 
some  work  may  fall  to  each  man's  lot ;  but  I  know  that  as 
far  as  possible  you  will  spare  men  to  assist  in  the  scientific 
observations,  and  make  these  as  complete  as  possible.  .  .  . 

"  In  conclusion,  I  wish  all  possible  success  to  you,  and 
those  for  whom  you  are  now  responsible  ;  and  may  we 
meet  again  in  Norway,  whether  it  be  on  board  this  vessel 
or  without  her." 

The  requests  I  had  here  set  down  Sverdrup  made  it  a 
matter  of  conscience  to  comply  with,  and  the  summer 
after  Johansen  and  I  had  left  the  Fram  was  employed, 
not  only  in  the  work  necessary  for  the  safely  of  th  vessel, 
but  in  making  the  outfit  required  for  a  sledge  journey 
over  the  ice  as  perfect  and  complete  as  could  well  be. 
And  never,  perhaps,  has  an  expedition  been  better  pre- 
pared for  leaving  their  vessel  than  this,  although  the  prob- 
abilities were  that  the  necessity  for  so  doin<j:  would  not 
occur.  Light  canvas  kaiaks,  each  to  hold  two  men,  had 
already  been  partly  comj^leted  on  board  before  I  left,  and 
sledges,  ski,  snow-shoes,  cooking  apparatus,  dog  harness, 
etc.,  were  all  tested  and  put  in  good  order,  and,  as  will  be 
seen  from  the  orders  given,  provisions  were  kept  in  readi- 
ness. Before  we  left  the  shij)  some  time  had  been  spent 
in  carting  away  the  piled-up  masses  of  ice  which  had  been 
forced  against  the  Fravis  sides  during  the  pressure  of 
January,  1S95,  and  the  removal  of  this  ice  was  continued 
after  we  left. 

At  the  end  of  March,  just  as  the  last  of  this  mass  had 
been  removed,  the  ice  cracked  in  all  directions  around  the 
ship,  and  a  broad  crack  was  formed  which  passed  at  tlie 


are  taken 
was  small 
two  men, 
w  that  as 

scientific 
ible.  .  .  . 

you,  and 
I  may  we 
Ills  vessel 

made  it  a 

summer 

mployed, 

h    vessel, 

I  journey 

well   be. 

2tter  pre- 

the  prob- 

^ould  not 

men,  had 

left,  and 

harness, 

IS  will  be 

in  readi- 

:en  spent 

had  been 

essure  of 

;ontinued 

nass  had 
ound  the 
m1  at  the 


irOlF  THE   ^^FRAM"   FARED  307 

distance  of  a  few  feet  from  the  stern  of  the  vessel      Sub 
sequently  in  this  crack  there  was  great  pressure,  and  the 
ice  quite  split  up,  so  that  the  greater  part  of  the  Fram  lay 
in  open  water  by  the  end  of  July.     The  stern,  however, 
was  still  frozen  fast  in  a  great  block  of  ice.     An  attempt 
was  made  to  break  this  up  by  blasting,  which  seemed,  how- 
ever at  the  time,  to  have  ..d  very  little  effect,  only  a  small 
crack  in  the  ice  appearing ;  and  Sverdiup  was  standing  on 
the  ice  talking  with  some  of  his  companions  as  to  what 
moi-e  should  be  done  to  get  the  ^cssel  afloat,  when  they 
sudden  y  noticed  that  she  was  slowly  beginning  to  move 
and  before  they  were  aware  of  it  the  Ncssel  glided  from 
her  icy  slip  into  the  water  with  a  deafening  ^.oise,  while 
the  spray  was  thrown  from  her  bows  in  cxery  direction 
It  was  like  the  launching  of  a  ship,  and  her  return  to  open 
water    was   welcomed  by   the  crew  with    ringing  cheers. 
That  year,  however,  the  Frams  freedom  did  not  last  long 
By  warping  and  sawing  she  was  again  brought  into  a  safe 
haven,  and  in  August  was  again  frozen  f;:;  t. 

At  first,  after  we  had  left  the  ship,  the  drift  was  not  of 
much  importance;  but  toward  the  end  of  April  it  became 
somewhat  stronger  in  a  westerly  direction.     On  July  -. 
i895>  the  Fram  was  in  84°  50'  N.  hit.,  r^   U.  lon<r      Ai 
this  time  there  seemed  to  be  a  great  deal  of  movenient  in 
the  ice,  and  strong  [pressure  on  all  sides  in   tho  vicinity 
After  this  southwesterly  and  westerlv  winds  set  in   which* 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  stopped  the  Frames 
cinftmg,    and    even    drove    her    back   in   an    easterly  and 
notherly  direction.     Not  until  October  did  sh.  again  bear 
to  the  west,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  autumn  and 
the  wniter    tlie  drift  was  better  than   ever.     On  October 
16,  1895,  the  Fram  was  in  her  highest  observed  latitude. 


',  '' 


1-M 


11 

I      -I' ! 

'*  i 

t    ! 

J'     .11 

# 

!>' 

1 

f 

>' 

1 

» 

308 


iV^A^^^vV  nv  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


viz.,  85°  57'  N.  lat.  and  66°  E.  long.     Some  days  later  she 
was  still  farther  north,  but  on  those  days  it  was  cloudy,  so 
that  no  observations  could   be   taken.     By  the  middle  of 
February,  1S96,  the  Fram  had   come  in  a  southwesterly 
direction   to  84°  20'  N.  Lit.   and  24"   E.  long.      But  here, 
(inite   unexpectedly,  long-continued  south  winds  stopped 
the  drift  until  May,  when  it  again  began  to  go  south,  until 
on  July  19  they  were  in   CS3"  14'   N.  lat.  and    14   E.  long., 
where  the  work  of  getting  t!ie  Fraui  out  of  tlie  ice  betian. 
Had  she  not  got  loose  here,  but  had  been  obli<>;ed  to  con- 
tinue  drifting,  she  would  of  course  have  come  south  with 
the  polar  ice  along  the  east  coast  of   Greenland,  toward 
which    the    direction   of    her   drift  pointed  directly;    and 
had  she  not  got  loose  before,  slie  wo:il  1  have  been  driven 
south  righ.t  to  Cape  Farewell,  a  drift  which   has  already 
been  accomplished  several  times,  anl  which  would,  there- 
fore, not  have  been  so  well  worth  repeating. 

Throughout  her  drift  tlirough  tlie  unknown  Polar  Sea 
from  New  Siberia  to  the  north  of  Spitzbergen,  tl-.(^  Fram 
was  constantly  exposed  to  pressure,  none,  however,  being 
S3  serious  as  tliat,  already  described,  in  January,  1895. 
During  this  last  summer,  especially  now  in  June,  1896,  the 
pressure  was  particularly  great,  and  of  a  jDcculiar  nature. 
The  Fram  at  that  time  lay  in  a  channel,  which,  with 
the  changing  tidal  current,  alternately  opened  and  clcxscd 
twice  during  the  twenty-four  hours.  Throughout  one 
week  in  June,  at  the  s]-  -ing  tides,  the  jjressure  in  this 
channel  was  extremely  hard,  and  the  Fram  was  regularly 
lifted  uj)  once  or  twice  a  day.  so  high  that  her  bottom 
could  often  be  seen  above  the  ice.  But  broad  and  safe 
as  she  is,  she  rose  (|uietly,  without  letting  a  sound  be 
heard  within,  either  in   timber  or  woodwork.     No  one  on 


later  she 
oiidy,  so 
licldle  of 
westerly 
ait  here, 

stopped 
th,  until 
E.  lonor., 
e  bei^an. 
.  to  con- 
.ith  with 
,  toward 
I)' ;  and 
1  driven 

already 
:1,  there- 

)lar  vSca 
e  Fram 
r,  being 
^'  1895. 
<S96,  the 

nature. 
:h,  with 
\  closed 
)ut    one 

in  this 
'^ularly 

bottom 
nd  safe 
und  be 
one  on 


HOW  THE   "FJiAM"  FAILED  3,^ 

board  was  awakened  by  the  p.  ^ssure,  even  when  at  its 
height;  while  ,t  often  happened  that  Sverdrup  himself 
who  IS  a  very  light  sleeper,  awoke  in  the  morning  with- 
out an  Idea  of  what  had  taken  place  in  the  night.  Only 
when  he  can.e  on  deek  and  looked  over  the  bulwarks  did 
he  observe  how  high  the  vessel  was  raised  above  the 
surface  ol  the  ice. 

This  quiet  raising  was  of  course  due  to  the  well- 
adapted  hues  on  which  the  Fram  was  built.  This  too 
js  the  reason  why,  even  when  raised  highest,  she  did  not 
heel  over  to  any  great  extent;  as  a  rule  she  lay  almost 
horizontal.  Sometin.es  she  heeled  over  a  few  degrees 
but  the  greatest  heeling  ever  that  the  Fram  did  in  the  ice 
amounted  to  8°. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  temperatures  of  the  first 
winter.     I    will  only  add    here  that  the   two   subsequent 
winters  on    board   the   Fram  were   not  colder  than    that 
one.     It  ,s  well  known  that  the  districts  south  of  the  delta 
of  the  Lena  in  Siberia  form  one  of  the  poles  of  maximum 
cold  of  the  northern  hemisphere.     It  was  therefore  not  to 
be  expected  that  the  winters  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
unknown    Polar    Sea,  which    we  were  going    to  explore 
would    be  found  colder  than    those  to    the  north  of  the' 
Siberian   coast.     This,  too.  proved   to   be  the  case.      Of 
course,  the  temperatures  in  all  three  winters  were  rather 
low  on  board  the  Fr:im,  while  we  two  who  were  on  Franz 
Josef  Land  had  a  considerably  milder  winter;   but  as  a 
set-of¥  we  had   the  more  violent  storms,  from  which   the 
interior  of  the  polar  basin  is  to  a  great  extent  exempt. 
The  summers  in   the   polar  basin  were  also  rather  cool, 
the   temperature   generally  remaining  at   about   freezing 
point,  and  only  occasionally  rising  a  few  degrees  above  it. 


I::;.  J 


■II 


3IO 


K.LVSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


'i' 

1 

1 

y 

' 

:* 

' 

J 

) 

y 

ti 

1  > 

,1* 

ii 

^ 

1/ 

m  ■ 

if'; 

i 

f 
,1 

If:- 


I'i.ll    ii' 


The  higliest  temperature  observed  during  the  journe}^ 
was,  as  far  as  I  remember,  f  or  8°  (Fahrenheit)  above 
freezing.  The  fall  of  moisture  in  the  inner  regions  of  the 
polar  basin  was  very  small,  as  the  cold  air  carries  very 
little  moisture  with  it.  All  the  winter  and  spring,  there- 
fore, we  had,  as  a  rule,  unusually  settled,  clear  weather; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer 
no  small  amount  of  fog  might  often  be  seen  lying  low 
down  on  the  surface  of  the  ice.  Rain  was,  of  course,  a 
great  rarity. 

During  the  whole  voyage  the  Aurora  Borealis  was  of 
exceedingly  common  occurrence,  and  scarcely  a  day  passed 
in  which  it  was  not  observed,  provided  the  sky  allowed  at 
all  of  its  being  seen.  We  thus  had  exception-^i  opportu- 
nities of  studying  this  wonderful  natural  j^henomenon, 
which  often  rose  to  a  grand  intensity,  setting  the  entire 
sky  id  flames.  Northern  lights  of  various  colors  were 
very  frequent,  and  at  times  the  colors  were  surprisingly 
intense.  On  the  other  hand,  no  sound  was  ever  heard 
from  them,  nor  did  we  ever  see  them  quite  low. 

Atmospherical  electricity  was  also  a  subject  of  investi- 
gation, and  sometimes  the  electricity  was  fairly  strong. 
The  result  of  these  investigations,  however,  cannot  be 
discussed  until  later.  During  the  whole  journey,  samples 
of  the  air  were  taken  in  glass  tubes,  and  will  be  analyzed 
at  home. 

The  depth  we  had  found  during  the  earlier  part  of  our 
drift  continued  -fter  I  had  left  the  Fram,  and  the  lead 
showed  between  i,8oo  and  1,900  fathoms,  until  the  water 
began  to  grow  shallow,  as  the  Fram  worked  her  way  south 
toward  Spitzbergen.  Th(^  water  temj^eratures,  too,  con- 
tinued almost  unchanged  ;    but  the  layer  of  warm  water 


i 


iit:i 


I 


water 


HO  IV  THE   "FJ^AM"   FARED  3„ 

below  the  cold,  fresher  water,  w:.\h  I  have  already  men- 
tioned, became  somewhat  deeper  toward  the  west  the 
l^earer  they  came  to  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean  between 
bpitzbergen  and  Greenland. 

I  have  already  said  that  the  health  on  board  was  unus- 

ually  good,  and  so  it  continued  to  be  the  last  year  also 

1  he  only  cases  of  illness  were  one  or  two  slight  attacks  of 

gastnc  catarrh,  a  short  attack  of  rheumatism,  and  two  or 

hree  other  trifles.     There  was  no  sign  of  scurvy  during 

the  whole  journey,  and  in  my  opinion  this  disease  cannot 

appear  if  sufficient  attention  and   care  are  given  to  the 

provision  department  in  fitting  out  an  expedition ;  and  it 

IS  therefore  a  disease  which  ought  to  be  forever  banished 

from  Arctic  expeditions,- this  disease  which  has  hitherto 

been   the  one   to  claim  the  greatest  number  of  victims 

offered  to  polar  explorations. 

When  in  June  and  July  of  this  summer  the  expedition 
began  to  see  some  prospect  of  being  able  to  force  its  way 
south  with  the  Fram,  much  labor  was  ^^.nt  in  gettin' 
her  out  of  the  ice.  a  task  which  was  not  -as.  in  the  crrea^J 
packed  masses.  The  only  way  was  to  try  o  blow  up 
these  pieces  of  ice  by  blasting,  in  which  process  both  gun- 
cotton  and  ordinary  gunpowder  were  employed  The 
former  of  these  proved  to  be  the  most  effectual ;  but 
heavy  charge,  of  gunpowder  might  also,  if  judiciously 
placed,  have  had  a  capital  effect. 

During  these  blasting  experiments  an  accident  hap- 
pened which  might  easily  have  had  the  most  serious 
consequences.  Sverdrup,  with  one  man  as  helper,  had 
just  laid  a  train  in  a  crack  in  the  ice,  and  set  light  to  the 
fuse,  when  suddenly  the  piece  on  which  they  stood  gave 
way,  and  they  fell  into  the  water  with  the  charge,  and'' the 


IM 


313 


NANSEN  IN  THE  EKO/JiN   WORLD 


Wr*. 


':    I 


I    1 


burning  fuse  close  to  them.  The  situ:,  .ion  was  anything 
but  agreeable,  and  they  made  the  most  desperate  exertions 
to  get  on  to  the  ice  again,  and  out  of  reach  of  the  charge 
before  it  exploded ;  but  the  edge  of  the  ice  was  high,  and 
it  was  only  after  two  or  three  unsuccessful  attempts  that 
they  succeeded  in  getting  to  a  place  of  safety.  The 
charge  exploded  soon  after. 

After  several  days  of  exhausting  labor  at  this  ice-blast- 
ing they  at  last  succeeded  in  setting  the  Fram  free,  and 
on  July   19  the  work  of  forcing  her   southward  through 
the  closely  packed  ice  began  in  earnest.    The  ice  here  vvas 
trei...iidous    throughout,    the    Moes    sometimes    being   so 
large  that  the  end  of  them  could  not  be  seen  even  with  a 
glass.     No  open  water  was  visible,  and  the  situation  often 
looked  hopeless.     Hut  it  is  a  capital  thing  not  to  have  any 
way  of  retreat;  in  other  words,  to  have  no  choice  but  to 
go  on.    So  on  they  went,  and   they   had  a  capital  vessel, 
by  whose   means    the    impossible    became    possible.     By 
steaming  and  warping  they  forced  their  way,  bit  by  bit, 
through  ice  which  would  have  made  most  men  give  them- 
selves up  to  despair;  and  when  it  was  too  bad'for  this,  a 
way  was  made   by  blasting.       For  about  a  month    they 
kept  on  with  this  work,  and  during  that  time  broke  their 
way  through  150  geographical  miles  of  ice  — ice  perhaps 
vaster  than  any  other  vessel  has  ever  yet  ventured  upon  ; 
and  on  August  13,  the  very  day  on  which  Johansen  and  I 
arrived  at  Vardo,  they  got  out  of  the  ice  into  open  water. 
At  the  time  of  their  coming  out  of  the  ice  there  was  a 
fog,  which,  however,  soon  lifted,  and  close  by  was  seen 
a^  small  vessel,  the    Sisters  (Sostrene),  a   schooner  from 
Tromso,  which    greeted    the   Fram  wi^h    hearty   cheers. 
Captain  Bottolfsen  coming  on  board.     The  first  question 


anything 
Exertions 
c  charge 
ligli,  and 
ipts  that 
:y.     The 

ice-blast- 
Free,  and 
througii 
I  ere  was 
eing   so 
n  with  a 
jn  often 
lave  any 
;  but  to 
I  vessel, 
)le.     By 
by  bit, 
c  them- 
r  this,  a 
th    they 
ce  their 
perhaps 

1  upon  ; 
n  and  1 
water. 

2  was  a 
IS  seen 
r  from 
cheers, 
jestion 


//OI-^  THE  ^^F/iAM"  FAKED  3,3 

put   to  him  was  whether  Nansen  and  Johansen  had  ar- 
rived  m  Norway.     The  negative  answer  to  this  acted  like 
an  uncomfortable  damper  on  the  joy  they  had  experienced 
in  gettmg  out  of  the  ice,  and  few  on  board  the  Fram  had 
any  hope  now  of  ever  seeing  us  again.     Supposing,  how- 
ever, that  people  on  Spitzbergen  might  be  better  informed 
hey  went  there  to  meet  Andree,  who  was  supposed  to' 
be  at  that  place.     There,  however,  the  intelligence  was  no 
more  reassuring,  and  their  fears  for  us  -  their  two  com- 
rades-grew more  and  more  serious.     Captain  Sverdrup 
was  perhaps  the  only  man  on  board  who  still   believed 
that  we  were  alive;  he  thought  that  we  had  arrived  at 
I^ranz  Josef  Land  so  late  last  autumn  that  we  had  been 
obliged  to  winter  there  with  Jackson's  expedition,  and  all 
on  board  were  agreed  to  go  at  once  to  Franz  Josef  Land 
to  look   for  us.      The  Fram  was   indeed  fully  equipped 
for  starting  on  a  new  polar  expedition,  should  it  be  neces- 
sary     To  ..lake  quite  certain,  however,  it  was  oecided  to 
go  home  to  Norway  to  see  if  there  might  be  any  later 
mtelhgence  of  us  there. 

It  was  during  the  night  of  August  20  that  the  Fram 
cast  anchor  in  the  little  haven  of  Skjarvo,  in  Finmark 
bverdrup  immediately  rowed  ashore  to  despatch  some  tele- 
grams. After  he  had  hammered  for  some  time  in  vain 
upon  the  various  dcors  of  the  telegraph  office,  a  head  was 
put  out  of  a  window,  and  an  angry  voice  called  out :  — 

"It's  too  bad  that  one  can't  even  be  allowed  a  qu-'-^t 
night  s  rest !     What  do  you  want,  and  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  My  name  is  Sverdrup,  and  I  am  captain  of  the  Fram  " 
came  the  quiet  answer. 

At  this  the  tone  of  voice  in  the  window  immediately 
changed.     "  I  'H  come  directly,"  it  shouted,  and  the  win- 


.tr 


I'f 


A'  '   < 


3M 


JVAJVS£:Ar  JN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


»-^«--  -  _ '. 


THE 


"FRAM"    IN    THK    HARItOR   OF   CHRISTIANTA    AFTKR    HKR    RETUR.M 


dow  was  closed  again.  Sverdrup  went  around  the  house 
to  the  entrance,  and  there,  to  his  surprise,  found  the 
person  whom  he  had  seen  at  the  window  in  the  simplest 
deshabille  standing  fully  dressed  before  him.  No  human 
being  had  ever  dressed  more  quickly,  he  thought ;  and  his 
astonishment  was  not  lessened  by  the  first  words  that  the 
head  of  the  telegraph  office  said  to  him,  "  Nansen  and 
Johansen  have  come  back." 

Sverdrup  hardly  gave  himself  time  to  answer,  but 
rushed  down  the  island  to  the  shore  to  shout  out  the 
glad  news  to  his  comrades,  who  fell  on  one  another's 
necks  in  mad  delight.  The  news  was  immediately  sent 
out  over  the  water  to  the  Fram,  which  soon  after  greeted 
it  with  a  salute  of  two  guns,  which  echoed  far  out  into  the 
still  summer  night,  proclaiming  the  return  of  the  Norwe- 
gian polar  expedition  to  its  native  land.  (Nansen  and 
Johansen  met  the  Fmm  in  Tromso  harbor.) 


RECEPTION  AND   FESTIVITIES   AT  CHRISTIANIA 
The  reception  which  took  place  at  Christiania  on  Sep- 
tember  9  was   so   brilliant   that  no  sovereig,.  could    be 
welcomed  more  royally. 

As  soon  as  the  tidings  of  Nansen's  and   the  Fram'^ 
re  urn    were    flashed   over   the    world,   committees  Z; 
foimed  to  arrange  great  festivities,  and  th.y  worked  with 
unremmmg  .eal  to  have  everyth-ng  ready'at  the  pr; ! 
■me.     The  notice  was  rather  short,  but  it  appeared  to  be 
ong  enough,  as  everybody  was  anxious  to  '  ssist  and  a 
h-dred  willing  hands  were  ready  where  there^LTotm 
.■;id  use  for  only  two. 

On  Wednesday,  September  g,  the  c.'.pital  of  Norway 
was  m  ,  s  best  attire.  There  were  Hags  everywhere  along 
the  route  of  the  procession,  and  festoons  of  evergreens 
and  sh.elds  w,th  the  names  of  the  explorers  in  silv,  r  on  a 
blue  ground  ;  but  the  most  original  spectacle  was  an  im- 
mense tnnmphal  arch,  occupied  by  several  hundred  yorn. 
people  dressed  in  white.  " 

All  business  was  suspended,  stores  and  offices  closed 
at  noon,  and  crowds  of  people  thronged  the  streets  from 
early  morning. 

The  festivities  commenced  on  Christian  ia  Fjord  A 
fleet  of  about  a  hundred  gayly  decorated  steamers,  large 
ana  small  sa.led  out  in  the  morning  to  meet  the  fZ 
and  escort  the  good  ship  to  the  city.  While  this  --.and 
demonstration  was  taking  place  on  the  sea,  every  localit  ■ 
m  and  around  the  city  from  ..vhich  one  could  get  a  view 
was  filled  with  people. 

When  the  large  fleet  of  steamers  met  the  Fram  and 


ll 


Wr 


316 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


I  \ 


m\  k 


her  escort  of  eight  men-of-war,  a  tremendous  cheer  rang 
out,  and  the  Fram  steamed  into  port  amidst  the  salutes 
from  the  ships  and  the  guns  on  land.  She  looked  quite 
insignificant  with  her  sombre  and  ice-battered  hull  in 
these  gay  surroundings. 

The  guns  of  the  fortress  then  gave  the  signal  that  the 
fleet  had  arrived,  and  a  boat  rowed  by  quite  young  sailor 
boys  took  Nansen  and  his  men  from  the  Fmm,  while  the 
multitude  cheered  and  waved  their  handkerchiefs  on  see- 
ing the  hero  of  the  day,  who  was  dressed  in  his  celebrated 
blue  jacket.  At  the  pavilion,  on  the  pier,  a  large  chorus 
of  men  sang  with  great  effect,  at  this  inspiring  moment, 
the  well-known  hymn,  "A  Mighty  Fortress  is  our  God." 

While  everybody  present  joined  in  singing  the  nation-1 
hymn,  Nansen  and  his  comrades  walked'from  the  boat  to 
the  tent,  where  the  indescribably  joyful  meeting  with  their 
families  and  most  intimate  friends  took  j^lace.  Then 
followed  the  official  reception,  at  which  Mr.  Sunde,  the 
president  of  the  Christiania  City  Council,  made  the  speech 
of  welcome.  After  deafening  cheers  Nansen  responded 
in  a  loud,  sonorous  voice  :  — 

"  Countrymen  :  it  is  a  difficult  task  to  express  the  fcel- 

mgs   that   animate    my   comrades   and   myself.     Well    I 

remember  the   day  we   left  home.     The  fjord   lay  before 

us    heavy    with    rain ;    it  was   hard   to  say  Good-by,  and 

great  was  the  responsibility;  we  felt  that  Norway's  best 

wishes  were  with  us;  we  realized  that  if  we  flinched  the 

country  would  be  disappointed.     Hut  I  was  certain  that 

my  men  would  do  their  duty  even  to  the  shedding  of  the 

last  drop  of  blood.     I  can  say  that  no  one  ever  went  to 

the   North  with   nobler  men  than   I  flid.     I  thank   y„u. 

from  the  bottom  cf  my  heart,  for  your  greeting  of  wU^ 


eer  rang 

B  salutes 

:ed  quite 

hull   in 

that  the 
ig  sailor 
^hile  the 
>  on  see- 
lebrated 
;  chorus 
noment, 
God." 
nation  rd 

boat  to 

th  their 

Then 

de,  the 

speech 
ponded 

he  fcel- 
U'ell  I 
before 
>y,  and 
■'s  best 
led  the 
in  that 
of  the 
ent  to 
^  you, 
)f  wlI- 


''itmi 


318 


'If,;  'f 


1^ 


1 1* 


I  '■ 


i  f 


If 


ArAJVS£JV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


come,  —  a  greeting  that  hardly  any  other  Norwegian  ever 
received.  Thanks  to  Christiania.  We  only  did  our 
duty,  therefore  the  welcome  is  doubly  dear  to  us.  Long 
life  to  our  capital  city  !  May  it  often  send  out  men  like 
those  it  sent  with  me !  " 

After  the  reception  was  ended  the  explorers  were  taken 
into  carriages,  —  Nansen  and  Captain  Sverdrup  in  the 
first,  —  leading  the  procession  as  it  moved  up  through 
the  city. 

They  received  unceasing  ovations,  and  on  passing  un- 
der the  trium])hal  arch,  with  its  living  decorations,  flowers 
were  thrown  to  the  heroes.  The  professors  and  students 
awaited  them  at  the  university,  and  on  their  arrival  the 
rector,  Professor  Schiotz.  on  behalf  of  science,  welcomed 
Nansen  and  crowned  "  The  Meroes  from  the  Desolate 
Ice  Fields  "  with  laurel. 

The  goal  of  the  jjrocession  was  the  royal  castle,  into 
which  Nansen  and  his  men  jjassed  while  interminable 
masses  of  people  collected  outside,  and  called  for  him  so 
persistently  that  he  had  to  appear,  time  after  time,  on  the 
balcony  to  bow  his  acknowledgments.  At  the  state  din- 
ner that  followed  and  to  which  about  one  hundred  people 
were  invited,  Nansen  wore  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Order 
of  St.  Olaf,  with  which  King  Oscar  had  honored  him  at 
the  reception  at  the  castle.  Sverdrup  wore  the  cross  of  a 
commander,  and  the  sci.  ntific  members  of  the  expedition 
the  cross  of  knights,  and  the  other  members,  the  new 
Fram  medal  of  silver.  The  only  speech  that  was  made 
was  that  of  the  King,  who  said :  — 

"  This  is  a  notable  day  indeed.  Nansen  is  now,  as  a 
discoverer,  the  victorious  pioneer  of  an  important  work  of 
civilization,  whom   the  whole  world  greets  with  acknow- 


Lon<x 


RECEPTION  AND  FESTIVITIES  3,9 

ledgment   and    admiration.      His  countrymen  greet  hmi 
with  special  pride,  joy,  and  enthusiasm,  because  this  great 
feat  was  accompHshed  by  Norwegians  alone.     When   the 
Fram  sailed  away  she  was  followed  uith  hope,  fear,  and 
doubt;  but  intelligence,  prudence,  and  dauntless  courao-e 
dispelled  our  fears  and  fortified  our  hopes.     Colin  Arch- 
er's Fram,  with  Sverdrup  at  the  helm  and  Nansen  on  the 
commander's  bridge,  and  a  crew  of  brave  men,  conquered 
the  many  difficulties.     The  Fram  reached  a  point  farther 
north  than  any  other  ship  ever  did ;  and  its  fearless  leader 
went  still  nearer  to  the  Pole  with  but  a  single  companion, 
defying  dangers  the  thought  of  which  makes  one  shud- 
der, and  which  cannot  fail  to  awaken  the  highest  admira- 
tion.    A  kind   Prox  .dencc  held  its  protecting  hand  over 
our  countrymen  and  insured  them  a  safe  return.     But  we 
will  not  give  greater  credit  to  Providence  than  is  its  due 
Providence    usually   sides    with    prudence    and    coura<re 
therefore  we  will  rather  emphasize  the  remarkable  accu^ 
racy  of  Nansen's  calculations.     When  the  Fram  returned, 
a  great  shout  of  joy  echoed  through  Norway's  mountains 
and    all  along  its  coasts.     The  Fram    has  had  a  trium- 
phant voyage;  she  has  returned  with  her  full  crew,  unin- 
jured, and  with  stores  still  unexhausted,- all  visible  proofs 
of  the  great  care  that  has  made  this  polar  expedition  a 
success. 

^  "And  now  you  stand  here  in  the  royal  castle,  and  the 
King  of  Norway  feels  that  it  is  not  only  his  sacred  duty 
but  that  It  IS  his  incontestable  right,  to  interpret  the  feel- 
ings of  the  Norwegian  people  at  this  moment.  Accept 
then,  through  me,  the  entire  people's  sincere  and  heart- 
felt thanks  for  what  you  have  done,  for  the  joy  you  have 
caused  in  Norwegian  hearts,  for  the  honor  and  lustre  you 


¥■ 


irs 


1« 
i     'I 

t'  ' 


320 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\i  I 


"''^i 


have  spread  over  your  fatherland.  Tliese  evidences  of 
appreciation  will  not  die,  but  will  survive  those  who  are 
present  here,  and  will  descend  to  posterity  century  after 
century,  as  long  as  the  Norwegian  mountains  stand.  W'e 
will  salute  Fridtjof  Nansen  and  his  men  with  three  times 
three  cheers." 

When  Nansen  left  the  castle  at  nine  o'clock  to  drive 
to  his  home,  he  found  the  city  illuminated  with  bonfires 
and  torches.  The  next  day  (Thursday)  the  city  was  astir 
early,  ready  for  new  ovations.  In  the  forenoon  a  large 
parade  consisting  of  over  twenty  thousand  school  chil- 
dren, dressed  in  their  best  and  carrying  flags,  passed  be- 
fore Nansen  and  his  men,  who  were  stationed  under  a 
triumphal  arch,  where  they  were  nearly  buried  under  the 
masses  of  flowers  that  the  little  girls  threw  at  them. 

In  the  evening  the  city  of  Christiania  tendered  the 
party  a  great  banquet,  in  which  about  five  hundred  per- 
sons participated.  The  next  evening  there  was  a  festival 
performance  at  the  theatre,  after  which  a  torch-light  pro- 
cession of  students  accompanied  Nansen  to  a  banquet  at 
the  Students'  Clul 

The  ovation  ended  the  next  day  with  a  great  popular 
festival  in  the  open  air  at  which  over  thirty  thousand  peo- 
ple were  i)rcsent.  There  were  addresses  by  Hjornstjerne 
Bjornson  and  others.  Nansen  expressed  his  thanks  amid 
tumultuous  ajjplause.  Then  followed  singing  and  dan- 
cing, illuminations  and  fireworks,  and  thus  ended  the  great 
festival  in  Christiania  where  the  whole  nation  had  united 
to  give  one  of  its  greatest  sons  a  royal  reception. 


PEARY'S  JOURNEY 
ACROSS   NORTHERN   GREENLAND 


I.lEUTIi»,»T  IIOBKRT  E.  r^KV.  V.  S.  N. 

THE  NORTH  GREENLAND   EXPEDITION  OF  ,80,-,. 


) 


I, 


31 


OUTLINE   OF   THE   PLAN 


ii 


tt   > 


hi 


Briefly  told,  the  plan  of  Lieutenant  Peary  for  this 
expedition  was  as  follows:  With  five  or  six  companions 
he  would  land  at  Whale  Sound,  on  the  western  coast  of 
Greenland,  latitude  77°  35'  N.,  in  June  or  July.  The 
remainder  of  the  summer  and  the  autumn  were  to  be 
spent  in  erecting  a  hut  in  which  to  spend  the  winter, 
storing  meat  and  other  supplies,  making  scientific  re- 
searches, collecting  specimens,  and  making  excursions  to 
the  inland  ice.  In  addition  to  this,  if  the  character  of  the 
season  would  permit,  a  depot  of  provisions  was  to  be 
formed  near  the  southern  corner  of  Humboldt  Glacier. 
During  the  winter  the  members  of  the  party  w^ould  repair 
their  sledges  and  ski,  mend  their  clothes,  and  get  into 
readiness  for  use  whatever  they  might  need  for  travelling 
purposes.  They  would  alsc  practise  running  on  ski  and 
on  Canadian  snow-shoes.  In  the  spring  four  or  five  of 
the  party  would  make  an  effort  to  cross  the  inland  ice  to 
Petermann  Fjord.  From  that  point,  if  reached,  two  or 
three  of  them  would  continue  the  journey,  while  the 
others  would  return  to  Whale  Sound.  The  advance 
party  would  push  on  to  the  most  northern  pcint  in  Green- 
land. After  ascertaininn-  ts  exact  geographical  position, 
they  would  commence  the  return  trip  and  rejoin  their 
companions  at  Whale  Sound,  and  the  entire  party  would, 
at  the  first  opportunity,  return  to  the  United  States. 


--  h 


y  for  this 
)mpanions 
II  coast  of 
Lily.  The 
ere  to  be 
he  winter, 
entiiic  re- 
;ursions  to 
cter  of  the 
A'as  to  be 
It  Glacier. 
)uld  repair 
[    get  into 

travellins; 
on  ski  and 

or  five  of 
land  ice  to 
sd,  two  or 

wliile  tlie 
E  advance 
:  in  Grcen- 
il  position, 
cjoiii  tlicir 
wty  would, 
tates. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

WINTER    QUARTERS    AND    PREPARATIONS 

EiviNr,  AsTROP,  tlie  author  of  tl,is  sketcl,  of  a  most 
remarkable  expedition,  was  a  young  Norwegian  who  a 
compan,ed  Lieutenant  Peary  on  his  perilous  journy  over 
themland  ,ce  and  to  the  most  northern  poiit  of  Grel 
land.     The  following  is  his  narrative  ■_ 

The  number  of  members  of  this  expedition  was  five 

Besides  Lreutenant  Peary,  its  commander,  there  we^e  D^' 

.  A.  Cook,  a  physician  and  a  very  active  and  enero-etic 

man  who  was  about  thirty  years  of  age;    Mr.  Lan,tdon 

G.bson,  a  promment  .sportsman  and  an  excellen'.  hutter 

i  t'"v  f  ^^1""^'  '''"'^'^"'^^  '°  «'-  P^'-^r-  «- 

CO      •,  \   rS°     •    ''  "^'"^•"l°gi-^'  °f  tl'e  expedition,  who 
ontributed  «.,ooo    toward  fitting  it  out  and  who  neve 
e  urned;  and    myself.     I   was  the  youngest  member  of 

«^  Ic^ft?'  "°'  ^"""S  ™'^l^'^'f«l  "•)•  '«o"tieth  year  when 
«e  left  po  t.  Each  member  tendered  his  services  without 
remunerafon.     Matthew  Henson,  a  colored  man  who  h.-^ 

w  ::  ":r"'^T'^"'/'=">-'^  ---  f--  -•'"y  >'-■-«,  went 

uth  us  as  cook.  A  remarkable  innovation  which  gave 
the  expedition  an  added,  not  to  say  a  sensational  interest 
was  the  presence  of  Lieutenant  Pearys  wife,  who  car-' 
nestly  desired  to  accompany  her  husband.  Up  to  this 
time  no  white  woman  had  ever  ventured  into  the  Arctic 
regions.  ^ 


The   expedition  left   New  York  J 


une  6,  1 89 1,  in  the 


1 

<M 

i 

324 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


■jdi 

If 

y\ 

',» 

,\ 

1 

;      ,'i 

If 

n*; 

If 


I' 


i  t' ! . 


WH 


III  I 


I      i 


Kite,  a  small  steam  sealer.  Besides  the  members  of  the 
party,  a  number  of  scientists  from  Philadelphia  sailed  with 
us  to  make  observations  and  collections  during  the  voy- 
age, and  intending  to  retr.rn  in  the  vessel  after  having 
landed  us  at  our  northern  port. 

After  a  prolonged  and  tedious  voyage  along  the  coasts 
of  North  America  and  Newfoundland,  and  over  Davis 
Strait,  we  sighted,  on  June  2^,  the  land  to  which  we  had 
longed  to  come. 

On   the  western  coast  of  Greenland  we  called  at  the 
Danish  colonies,  Godhavn  and   Upernavik.     At  each  of 
these  places  we  were  well  received  and  hospitably  enter-  . 
tained  by  the  Danish  officers  stationed  there. 


lil  I 


f^ 


!rs  of  the 

ailed  with 

the  voy- 

^r  having 

he  coasts 
er   Davis 

li  we  had 

id  at  the 
t  each  of 
d\y  enter- 


t-i -Y- 


J'« 


fl' 

,    1 
.  1 

326 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


On  July  2  we  were  stopped  by  ice  in  Melville  Bay,  and 
for  three  weeks  we  were  able  to  make  but  little  progress. 
Here  the  time  passed  very  slowly,  as  we  were  all  impatient 
to  reach  our  point  of  destination,  the  place  on  Inglefield 
Gulf   where    we    expected  to  have    our    winter   quarters. 


;  t 

.  \   f 

,| 

,1 

'■ 

: 

v 

.111- 

k 

i  '■;  f 

'■■1 

I ; 


m 


if 


yi,'> 

If  ft- 


ICK-I'ACK    IN    MELVILLE    liAV 


Our  principal  occupation  at  this  time  was  the  shooting  of 
a  few  seals  and  some  sea-birds. 

On  July  II  a  great  misfortune  befell  Lieutenant  Peary. 
This  was  the  fracturing  of  his  right  leg.  Although  com- 
pletely d'sabled  physically,  he  accepted  the  situation 
calmly  and  unconij^lainingly.  For  four  weeks  he  was 
confined  to  his  bed,  but  he  never  lost  his  patience  or 
wavered  in  his  confidence  of  success. 

Our  first  bear  was  shot  on  Julv  16.  During  the  next 
few  days  several  more  of  these  ferocious  creatures  were 


;  Bay,  and 

progress. 

impatient 

Inglefield 

quarters. 


Dotinii  of 


nt  Peary, 
-igh  corn- 
situation 
he  was 
tience  or 


the  next 
res  were 


1 


if 


$28 


ACJiOSS  NOKTIIERN  GREENLAND 


i«^' 


I ,' 


seen,  but  we  were  not  able  to  get  within  shooting  distance 
of  any  of  them. 

While  east  of  Cape  York,  on  July  22,  we  got  out  of  the 
pack-ice,  and  on  the  next  day  we  beheld  in  the  distance 
the  desert  coast  which  was  to  be  our  home  during  the 
coming  winter. 

The  place  which  Lieutenant  Peary  had  finally  chosen 
for  our  winter  quarters  was  situated  on  the  southern  side 
of  McCormick  Bay  a  little  sop'H  of  latitude  78°.  We 
reached  it  early  m  the  mornip  ,  f  July  24,  and  spent 
almost  the  entire  day  in  looking  t  1-  the  most  suitable  spot 
upon  which  to  build  our  house.  Toward  evening  we  de- 
cided to  take  a  small  dry  place  that  was  near  the  coast, 
with  a  creek  running  directly  past  it. 

During  the  following  week  the  crew  were  busy  hauling 
our  provisions  and  stores,  while  we  were  equally  industri- 
ous in  building  a  house  out  of  the  materials  which  we  had 
brought  along  in  the  ship  for  that  purpose.  This  house 
was  twenty-two  feet  long  and  twelve  feet  broad,  and  was 
divided  into  two  rooms,  one  of  which  was  considerably 
larger  than  the  other.  The  walls  and  roof  were  made  of 
one-inch  boards,  which  were  covered  on  the  inside  with 
tarred  pasteboard.  A  foot  inside  of  this  wall  there  was 
another  covering  of  common  pasteboard  lined  with  thick 
blankets.  On  the  outside  a  wal.  of  stone,  three  feet  high, 
was  built  around  the  house.  Upon  this  wall  we  piled  the 
numerous  boxes  and  barrels  in  which  our  provisions  were 
stored.  In  the  autumn  we  stretched  a  canvas  awning 
from  the  roof  of  the  wall  around  the  house,  and  thus 
formed  a  closed  passage  surrounding  the  building.  This 
aided  greatly  in  keeping  the  interior  warm  and  cosey 
during  the  winter. 


( .*  i 


distance 

ut  of  the 
distance 
ring  the 

y  chosen 
lern  side 
8°.  We 
d  spent 
ible  spot 
5  we  de- 
le coast, 

hauling 
industri- 
L  we  had 
s  house 
ind  was 
iderably 
made  of 
ide  with 
ere  was 
±  thick 
et  high, 
iled  the 
•ns  were 

awning 
id  thus 
;.  This 
d  cosey 


frmr^^  qi^ajite^s  and  ^jiemj^ations     3., 
On  July  30  the  Kiu  left  us,  after  Lieutenant  Pe.r- 

sad  to  see  the  ship,  our  las.  tlttio^Xhe"!!:" 
world,  disappear  in   the  distance      TxT.  civilized 

and  could   without  interruS^';..:;  ^  J^  *- 

z::i:^'"^' '-' ''''-'"''  .a;  heforets "  tt: 

Island  and  persuade  the™  to  settle  n^earour  hous^    Th  s 
because  they  would   be  of  great  assistance  to  u"  i  J'he 
wmter  by  sew.ng  our  skin  garments,  and  might  be  h Ift 
.n  vanous  other  ways.     On  August  :.  four'^of  u    set  ou 
on  a  boat  expedition  to  the  island.     We  reached  it     fely 
and  found  some  Eskimos.     The  first  „,eeting  with  ttem 
eemed  verv  queer,  as  we  did  not  understand  a  vv    do 
tl  e.r  language  and   they  were  equally  ignorant  of  ours 

de    Jd'^rr  "'  '''"'•  "•<=  "^'^^S^'^  '»  -^ke  them       : 
derstand  what  we  wanted.     A  family,  consisting  of  a  man 
h.s  w,fe,  and  two  children,  were  willing  to  go  with  uTat' 
once,  and  we  took  them  over  in  our  b^at,  afrivinl  a"  the 
house  on  the  i8th  of  August. 
Summer  was  now  far  idvanced.     The  remainder  of  the 

ZJI^u  ""'^    P"''>'  '"   '^"""■"g   --eindeer.      We 

clothmg  for  the  winter.     On  these  hunting  trips  we  went 


*£^1 


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330 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


nearly  to  the  end  of  McCormick  Bay,  and  we  were  usually 
quite  successful.  We  had  killed,  in  all,  thirty-four  rein- 
deer that  autumn,  when  darkness  set  in  and  we  were 
obliged  to  cease  our  hunting  expeditions. 

On  October  26  the  sun  left  us,  not  to  return  for  nearly 
four  months.     During  about  half  of  this  period  there  was 
hardly  any  difference  in  the  light  between  night  and  day. 
I   will    try  to  give  an  idea  of  what  we  did  in  this  long 
period  of  darkness.     As  I  said  before,  our  hut  was  warm 
and  cosey,  and  though  the  quarters  were  close  we  all  got 
along  very  well.     We  had    three  meals  each    day.     The 
last   of   these  consisted   of   reindeer  meat   and    different 
canned  vegetables,  and  was  more  elaborate  than  either  of 
the  others.     The  day  was  spent  in  various  kinds  of  man- 
ual labor.     This  was  partly  in  the  nature  of   necessity  as 
there  were  many  things  to  be  done  in  the  way  of  prepara- 
tion for  our  sledge  journey  in  the  following  sprino-      I  did 
most   of   the   carpenter   work,    making   sledges,"ski,  and 
other  articles.      Among   the   others.    Lieutenant     Peary 
particularly  excelled  in  the  high  art  of  cutting  clothes  and 
most  of  our  skin  r,arments  were  made  after^  his  patterns. 
Dr.  Cook  performed  quite  respectable  work  as  a  tanner 
ana  Mr.  Gibson  was  equally  successful  in  the  line  of  shoe- 
making.     After  a  time  we  became  so  proficient  in  Hi'^se 
occupations  that  we  jokingly  expressed  to  each  other  our 
doubts  whether  we  had  ever  been  doing  anything  else  in 
this  life  but  tan,  sew,  or  cut  patterns  for  the  peculiar  fash- 
ion of  clothes  wiiich  we  wore. 

On  Saturdays  we  began  the  day  by  sweeping  the  loner 
stovepipe.  This  was  such  a  difficult  task  that  all  of  the 
male  members  of  the  expedition  were  obliged  to  help  • 
and  when  it  was  finished,  if  one  were  to  judge  by  the  color 


'v^ 


-»  'W' 


s   long 


menirr";  '"  """  '"^  ^^^"^  ™='g'-d  that  we  were 

f-ee  obliging  Eslcimos,  who  1  i  IV;;;  f  "^'^  '"■ 
b.-ush  with  co„side,.ah,e  energy,  w.Jf^  ^i:  ;"  ^"'"^ 
On  Sundays  we  walked  about  in  our  niore  or  less  worn 
cvihzed  attire,  and,  considering  the  eireunis  n 
Pearod  to  be  a  rather  fine  looking  set  bT;  m"';"" 
morning  we  were   content   to  pnt  a!we   a  1  "^ 

vanity  and  cheerfully  don  our  sl4,  elo:;l:  agli:""^"^  '" 

known  to  furnish  protection  ^;:o;r;,;:  ^ZfC^^^ 
were    prepared  in    the   singular   but  rather   troub  e  o,nc 
O.eenland   way  of  chewing  ,hen,,  after  thoj.  are  d^I  i 
order  to  break  the  fibres.     The  sewin..  wn.  1  , 

I-kinu,  women  before  the  win L;  W,    ,       "    '  "^ 

•Skin  clothes,  like  clothes  n,adc  o  'o  1  :      ,  i:;;';"'^'- 
/-iMf      a^i  ,,  <^^un.i    niaiciiai,  wear 

>    tat  they  wear  more  in  son.e  places  than  they  do  in 
others.      I  ns  was  especially  noticeable  in  respect  to  tl  e 

one  of  Ins  garn,ents  by  putting  a  patch  of  ice  bear  skin 
on  the  n,ost  e.vposed  place.  The  long  white  hastk 
n.g  out  certainly  gave  him  a  comical  appearance 

in      ea'  :'  "Vl  '"""  '^"'"  "  "'^'  """-'  """"«  ">«-■  -"»- 

r       an  f  1  """'"P""    •■"'^'    '"■•'S*'-"'-'   ^'^'entifie 

«.as,  and  books  pertannng  to  Arctic  travel,  of  which  we 


^'    '    „     tl 


M. 


^*i#»if?. 


i 


i     •  |l  r 


t 


m-^  I- 


332  ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

had  brought  a  large  supply.     Our  evenings  were  largely 
spent  in  attempting  to  talk   to  the   Eskimos.     We  told 
them  of   the   distant   countries  to  the  south.     They  ap- 
peared deeply  interested;  but  when  we  asked  them  if  they 
would  like  to  go  with  us,  when  the  ship  came  to  take  us 
to  our  homes,  they   replied  with  great  earnestness  that 
they  would  never  leave  their  country  of  rocks  and  ice. 
They  often  sang  and  danc    .  for  us.     That  is,  one  man 
or  woman,  at  a  time,  would  go  out  on  the  floor  and  make 
the  most  hideous  faces  and  movements,  singing  more  or 
less   improvised  songs  of   a  mystic    character,  which  we 
could  not  understand,  and  beating  a  r'  am  as  an  accom- 
panmicnt.     The  other  Eskimos  and  ourselves,  all  but  the 
negro,  stood  around  the  dancer  in  a  circle.     The  negro 
sat  away  back,  on  the  edge  of  his  berth,  and  played  hymn- 
tunes  on  an  accordion  which  was  sadly  out  of  tune,  as  a 
kmd  of  protest  against  this  display  of  heathenism. 

^  Nearly  every  day  during  the  winter  we  received  new 
visits    from    Eskimos.      This    was   especially    noticeable 
when  we  had  a  full  moon.     Then  they  would  fairly  come 
in  droves.     On  these  occasions  some  of  them  would  build 
their  characteristic  cupola  formed  snow-huts  immediately 
upon  their  arrival,  and  would  settle  down  there  to  live  • 
while  others,  who  intended  to  stay  only  a  short  time,  were 
usually  allowed  to  sleep  on  the  floor  of  our  house,  where 
they  often   could   be  seen   packed  as  closely  as  sardines. 
One  can  easily  imagine    Hiat  at  first  this  was  decidedly 
disrgreeable  particularly  to  our  sense  of  smell ;  but  such  is 
the  modifying  effect  of  habit  that  the  atmosphere,  which 
had  seemed  almost  suffocating,  by  degrees  became  endur- 
able, and  at  length  caused  us  no  trouble  whatever.     By 
this    intimate    association    with    the    natives,    we    soon 


Wmmg    QUARTERS  AND  PXEPARATIONS      333 

^TJT^  "T'*;  '■''"''"''•  ^"''  °'^'^'"^d  considerable  prae- 
hca^  knowledge  of  their  difficult  language.  ^ 

Of  course,  Christmas  must  be  celebrat,.H  .„„     ,x.       , 

we  could  not  have  balls  and  sleigh  rides    30  o„  A    ?"^ 

Eve  we  had  a  large  dinner  parfy     About  six  „mT'' 

-  stopped  o:rrt  ::rd  ';o,:  rrrxh"::- 

Z!T-  -r-'"  ""  '"'="^^'  "'^  Eskimo?   We  hd 

ii:iiii;"S:rrto'rS^^^^^ 
.ui.  amusing  tfr  hi:  rriiiXT:£,::r 

as  well  as  i    did    iLTrr     °"^"'*'^''"^''°" 
member,   nf  ti,  !•  "^"'"8  ^°"i«  of  "le 

members   of  the   expedition   secretly  put  on  masks      I 

d  c rrr  '"v ""--  ^^"^  "^="  '°''°-d.  ow  ien 

aves  '  fThe  ;"""''  "'"'   '"^''  ^^  --" 

bravest  of  the  men  disappeared  with  remarkable  alertness 

hrough    t  e   door.     This  closed   the  festivities  ^  he 

evening.     It   was  late  in  the  forenoon  of  the  next  dav 

nouse  again      When  we  explained  to  them  the  mystery 

the  oref  "?'  '"   '"'  ''^"''"''  "'  °"  '-'s  0' 

were'fil   d"  Z""7-  =""'  ''"'^"'  "^^"^  "'^  -^sks,  they 
were  filled  with  admiration,  and  had   much   enjovmenl 

with  ^the^toys   which   had  previously  filled  th^S: 


i..i:,J:Jl 


r  i 


P  H 


334  ACXOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

Between  Christmas  and   New  Year  it  snowed  almost 
mcessantly.     During  the  winter  there  was  a  snowfall  of 
a  little  more  than  twenty-three  feet.     The  northern  liehts 
were  not  very  brilliant.     Our  chief  consolation  durin<r  the 
long  wmter  night  was  the  moon.     This  luminary,  when 
It  appeared,  stayed    with   us    uninterruptedly  for  si.x  or 
seven  days,  and  spread  such  a  lustre  over  the  vast  waste 
of  ice  that  we  could  easily  imagine  ourselves  in  the  iand 
of  fan-y  tales,  where  everything  is  made  of  shining  silver. 
Late  m  January  we  began  to  see  a  faint  light  to  the 
south,  and  not  long  afterward  we  noticed  a  brief  day     On 
February  ,3  we  rejoiced  to  see  the  returning  sun,  that  had 
been  absent  one  hundred  and  ten  days.     Our  dark  winter 
night  had  passed  more  quickly  and  more  agreeably  than 
we   had  expected,  but  we  were  glad   that   it  ,vas  over 
Upon  myself  its  principal  effect  had  been  to  give  me  a 
strong  feeling  of  cosiness  and  comfort  when  I  came  in- 
doors   fi-om   the   cold   and   unceasing   darkness   outside 
Aft  r  the  return  of  the  sun  the  air  became  milder  day 
by  day.     During  the  whole  of  January  and  Febr..i;S 
temperature  averaged  minus  40"  Celsius.    The  lowest  tern! 
pera  ure  noted  in  the  entire  winter  was  minus  ,^^'  Cels  us 
About  the  middle  of  February  we  were  s  iprised  bv 
a  very  marked  and  interesting   change  in  the  w-ead,er 
rhere  was  a  storm  from  the  southeast,  and  the  mer  irv 
uddenly  rose  to   5',  with  a  heaxy  rain.      This  was  be 

It  h-!l  ,  1  ^^■'  '•'""'•  '''"  ^°"  ^^'  "s  severe  as 

It  had  been  during  most  of  the  season 

March  and  April  were  busy  months  for  us  all.  The 
vvork  on  our  equipment  was  pushed  rapidly  forward.  We 
also  made  some  hunting  expeditions,  and  spent  seven  day. 


WIJVTEJ,   QUARTERS  AXD  PREPARATIONS       335 

in  a  sleigh  trip  around  Inglefield  Gulf.    By  the  end  of  tl,e 

attern,o„th  we  had  completed    everything    ne  ded    o 

travelhng  over  the  inland  ice.     We  had  also  obt^'ned   bv 

barter  w,th  the  Eskimos,  twenty  of  their  strongest    ogs' 

Of  the  equipment  I  will  mention  ski  sled<res    r.     a- 
snowsho.s,  and    sleeping-bags   made  ^f  ^1  l^.^'ir 
We   found    afterward    that    the    sleeping-bags    v're   .'ot 


I'KARY'S    MOISE    AND  TENT 


Heavy  .eight^wr:;',;:  :;':;:;>;  ?:~-'  "^ 

-nted  to  sleep,  in  fair  weather  w^imlHi^j'™    ™ 
the  snow,  sheltered  by  a  sled-e  ■  If  T  ,         1  "  "" 

""der  an   oilcloth       All  T     '  ''™"'  '''  "'^'' 

'he  aid  of  a  spirit  hni     "  Z""' .™°'""S  «-   done  by 
-pnit  lamp.      Pennnican,  dried  and  .rround 


Pi 


336 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


f*  > 


H 


Iff 


.•I  I' 


meat  mixed  with  fat,  was  our  principal  food  during  the 
whole  journey,  but  we  also  had  some  shipsbread,  a  little 
rancid  butter,  Knor  s  pea  flour,  condensed  milk,  chocolate, 
and  meat  powder. 

On  April  30  we  transferred  provisions,  sledges,  and 
other  equipments  from  our  winter  quarters  to  McCormick 
Bay,  and  afterward  to  the  border  of  the  inland  ice.    It  was 


ICEBERG  OFF  CAPi  CLEVELAND,  McCORMJCK    BAY 


exceedingly  hard  work  ;  and  as  our  course  took  us  through 
deep  drifts  of  snow  and  over  steep  heaps  of  stones,  it  was 
necessary  to  make  the  loads  very  small.  When  this  work 
was  accomplished  everything  was  in  readiness;  and  the 
small  party,  consisting  of  Lieutenant  Peary,  Gibson,  Dr. 
Cook,  and  myself,  set  out  with  hope  and  confidence  that 
in  due  time  we  should  reach  oui  uistant  destination. 


I  I 


After  marchiiiLr  for  sevp.--,]  ^ 

a  snow  hut  (Eskimo  i-Hoo  ,     ,       '''''"•     ^<^  built 

■'•he  sto,™   4ecl    o-  tSsl"  7  "'    '"""^    ^''^"-- 

and  we  crept  out  of  ot,r  nan-ow  .^L  '  .'h"  "  T""'' 
o""-  eyes.  Our  sledges  «ere  „,.n  ,  "'.•^  ^'^^  ^'S'l'  met 
''i!i^of  hard  snow,  and  w":  OH  '  "■"''  ""''''-  ■"-•■^' 
-g  shipsbread  l,acl  boenl"  >t  h  T  ""  "^"'"^  ^'""=''"- 
P;ce,  where  we  eould  not  rl  o  .  he  ^'  7'  "T  '  '''- 
always  restless  in  a  snow-storm  h  H  ?  ,     """  "^"^^ 

and  straps  in  pieces    ^„;'"""' 'y""  S"awed  their  harness 

others  h.';  bee    a  taikeT  n "•'",•    °"'  "'"^  "'^^^  "'  "- 
call  poblakto,   si  ,    1 1     T'T'  "'"''  "^^^  ^-^•'•"'- 

1-int  of  death.     T  iw      ':'"';     r'  ""'  "^•'■^'   '"''  "-' 
wa.s  great  dan^^er    hnt  th,         "    T  ^'"""""Sin.^'.as  there 

-  the  malady.f  w!  '  h  L:'  t^'^S  T"'^'  '■^"  ^-'--'"^^ 
"■s  to  proceed.     Ourin..  fl,,    I  ""possible  for 

con,e  very  htn,  jr         'd  "f  'T  ""  ^'^S'^  ''•''<'  '-■ 

from  thei    str  p?had   d       "      ■"     ''"^  ''"''^  "^^'"^''C-'^es 
.->iicm>,  nacl    clcvniirf>rl   <v, .,.,., ,ai  • 

"■as  not  buried  .„Kler  the       o        Fo  t    "';  T'""''    "^■^'' 
■sions  were  packed  in  hcrmcr.n'v      """"•^.'^''y  o"  P™v,- 

p-ed  _im„crvious  ,„  ^o::^  :tT  V ''T 

'"S  of  the  loose  doo-s  which  u-  >  "        ""  ^'''^"^'^- 

-•'-'  their  new  masi;;:!'    '  ."    ,^::   ^^ -;!'  -i'™-'""! 

Penm,ican  on  the  ;,  ,':",    •   "^7;""«  -'■^"  l-'-s  of 

'^■■■V>''''-'«-^-«.>l^a  n  ■;■"t:';^'"^™'^"•- 
'--l■•nt".hesnow.n,d|„,,,H  \-,,'™/''"V'""''''^ 
--  -^  -^'  '-^n,  harness  hin,.  r,::i  ^^l^^eS 


22 


338 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


%\  '! 


»     t: 


in  this  work  he  can,  as  a  rule,  do  it  without  getting  bitten 
more  than  two  or  three  times.  In  two  cases  we  had  to 
lasso  the  dog  doubly,  each  man  clinging  tightly  to  his  rope 
and  a  third  man  holding:  the  animnl  down  in  order  to 
make  it  possible  for  a  fourth  person  to  put  on  a  new  har- 
ness or  repair  the  old  one. 


i'f 


sei'AKaho.n  UK  ice  i'i.oks 


If    I 


CHAPTER  XIX 


ACROSS    T'lK    ICE    CAP 

leHect.on  of  the  .sun  on  Ihe  snow  was  less  annovine 
T^  muc  wander  day  was  sacrificed  to  .he  ,ods  o  Teep 
and  to  he  art  of  preparing  tea  and  pea  soun  VVe 
had  reached  an  elevation  of  three  thousallfi  ,    ! 

feet  ab        the  sea  level.     Konr  of  IZ^^  td^  ^ 

.ejes  .  d  all  the  articles  .e^:::^:pt:L;7;t:Zt 

h:ndred;::r"''  "■■-■■^""=' '''-"  ™^-  "--^  --^^'^t 

'n^lehtld  Gu.f  and  Kane  Basin.  Before  us  slouin^ 
toward  the  north  and  northeast,  but  so  little  as  to  bf 
hardly  nofeeable,  lay  the  inland  ice.  I  had  often  told  nw 
OaTri'T  ''"  '-''  *^  ^--^-  '"^ep^l 

lou'ld    di  ?r      r        ';  "'""■'-'  '■'  '"  ■^°"-"  ■"--'-  'hat 
^1  ould    distniguLsh    ,t   from   ordinary   days       Dr    Coot 

,: :  nn ";  ^"  "^  ■"^^'•"•^  --■'"'"■^  .'^-'  -t'of  :;■ 


make  a  fire  out  of  a  broken  ski 


and  cook 


;l  !' :    'IV.i    : 


340 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


a  meal  that  would  make  our  mouths  water.  He  carried 
out  his  part  of  the  programme  to  perfection.  We  had 
hardly  ever  eaten  a  meal  with  greater  relish  than  we  did 
the  one  on  that  morning  of  May  17.  The  principal  dish 
was  of  the  doctor's  own  invention.  The  recipe  from 
which  it  was  made  is  as  follows:  To  one  litre  of  warm 
pea-soup,  add  some  pieces  of  pemmican.  If  the  pem- 
mican  is  frozen  hard,  chop  it  into  small  pieces  with  an 
axe.     This  will  cause  it  to  melt  more  readily.     Stir  the 


!  1: 


1/^ 


■* 


I'KARV    AND    HIS   (  O.MI' ANIONS 

whole  over  a  fire,  using  pemmican  enough  to  make  the 
mixture  quite  thick.  It  is  a  very  palatable  dish,  and,  if 
not  eaten  in  too  large  quantities,  is  easily  digested. 

On. May  18  and  19  we  made  good  progress,  covering  a 
distance  of  about  twenty-two  miles  each  day.  On  May  20 
we  encountered  a  snow-storm  from  the  southeast,  and  were 
obliged  to  make  our  camp  much  earlier  than  usual.  As 
soon  as  we  halted,  we  commenced  making  a  snow  hut. 


2  carried 

We  had 

n  we  did 

ipal  dish 

pe   from 

of  warm 

:he  pem- 

with  an 

Stir  the 


lake  the 
1,  and,  if 
:1. 
verincr  a 

May  20 
md  were 
.lal.     As 

hut. 


■'■'IK    MIDNIGHT    SL'.' 


}<Wi 


34* 


ACIWSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


.|<ir 


■\  >  s 


m 


Here  we  were  snow-bound  for  two  days.  Had  we 
known  that  two  and  a  half  months  would  pass  before  we 
should  again  be  under  a  roof,  we  probably  should  have 
accepted  this  detention  with  much  less  dissatisfaction. 

We  were  not  able  to  resume  our  journey  until  Sunday, 
May  22.  When  we  had  removed  the  snow  with  which 
our  sledges  were  covered  we  found,  to  our  great  disap- 
pointment, that  the  only  luxury  among  our  stores  —  ten 
packages  of  fruit  preserves  —  had  disappeared.  The  ex- 
planation was  easy.  The  dogs  had  gotten  loose,  visited 
the  sledges,  and  eaten  what  they  found.  But  the  pre- 
serves did  not  agree  with  their  stomachs,  and  the  poor 
animals  suffered  severely  for  their  pilfering. 

During   the  next  two  days  we  covered  a  distance  of 
about  forty-four  miles,  although  we  used  neither  ski  nor 
snow-shoes.     On  the  morning  of  May  24  we  were  east  of 
the  Humboldt  Glacier,  and  about  one  hundred  and  thirty 
miles  frf)m   McCormick    Bay.     After  finishing  our  meal 
Lieutenant  Peary  informed  us  that,  according  to  tlie  plan 
which  had  been  laid  out,  the  time  had  come  for  our  little 
company  to  separate.     Two  of  its  members  mast  return 
to   Redcliffe   House  (our  winter  quarters)  and   the  otlier 
two  continue  the  work  of  exploration.     The  object  of  the 
latter  party  would   be  to   determine   how  far  north   the 
Greenland   continent  extends.     It  would   require  a  long 
journey  and   involve  great  difficulties.     Rapid  travelling 
would  be  necessary,  and  the  carrying  of  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  jjrovisions  to  last  for  c|uite  a  period  would  be  indis- 
l)ensable.     If  conditions  are  favorable  a  doo-  can  draw,  on 
the  inland  ice,  a  load  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  ;x)unds,  and  requires  only  about  one  pound  of  pemmi- 
can  per  day  for  food.     It  was  therefore  desirable  that  the 


Kad  we 
efore  we 
lid  have 
:ion. 

Sunday, 
h  which 
it  disap- 
?s  —  ten 
The  ex- 
:,  visited 
the  pre- 
he  poor 

ance  of 
ski  nor 
I  east  of 
:1  thirty 
ar  meal 
he  plan 
ur  little 
:  return 
e  other 
t  of  the 
rth  the 
a  long 
ivellinp; 


;-> 


t  quan- 
e  indis- 
raw,  on 
twenty- 
pemmi- 
hat  the 


ylCA'OSS  THE  /CM   CAP 

343 

P^.ty  proceeding  north  should  have  a  small   number  of 

people   and    a    relatively   large    num:    :■  of  dogs       T^, 

would  adm.t  of  the  carrying  of  provis.ons  for^a  lo  : 

-ientific  in;.™::,:l   ° '""' '  '^'°^^  ""■"'-■  "f 

Lieutenant  Peary  now  inquired  who  would  be  willin,. 
to  accompany  h-'m  farther  north.     We  each  and  nJl 
teered.     He  selected  me  for  his  compal     Id  1™':: 

delphl;  "'■  '""""  '"  ""  ^■■^"«^'''-"  ■•"  t'l'il- 

lee     «c  made  preparations,  in  ,!,e    afternoon,   to   part 

o  of  the  dogs,  and  provisions  for  twelve  day.s,  I.iX 
a  eary  and  n.yself  took  the  remaining  sixteen"  do.  s 
•i"d   the  other  sledges      The   htt„.         .•    ,  '" 

another   wiO  ■.•onef     O  !       ,  "'  """   ''"'''""^ 

lopcs.      Our   entn-e    load    wei-died    ai,„„t 

twelve  hunclrrd  pounds  "  '" 

7'^^pani.4andn::':ftl;irrf5tt^:";:S 

K  n>,clcllo  of  a  lonely  desert  of  snow.     Fron,  this  point 

upon  the  fate  of  only  t  vo  men. 
That  night  we  covered  a  distance  of  not  quite  four 


344 


ACA'OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


miles,  and  we  made  (uir  first  caniiJ  alone  early  in  the 
morning.  The  next  night  one  of  the  large  sledges  broke ; 
and  as  considerable  time  was  occupied  in  repairing  it,  we 
did  not  make  much  progress  We  had  now  reached  a 
place  where  the  snow  was  loose  and  deep,  and  during  the 
three  following  nights  ue  were  able  to  proceed  only  a 
short  distance. 

On  May  28  we  shot  one  of  o  dogs.  The  weight  of 
our  provisions  had  diminished  so  much  that  a  smaller 
number  of  animals  was  needed  to  draw  the  load.  By 
killing  one  of  the  dogs  we  could  not  only  save  the  pro\-i- 
sions  he  would  have  eaten,  but  v.e  could  also  use  his  flesh 
as  food  for  the  others.  In  time  we  acquired  considerable 
facility  in  skinning  and  cutting  ujj  dogs,  but  it  was  the 
most  unpleasant  work  we  had  on  the  inland  ice.  It  made 
our  hearts  ache  to  kill  the  creatures  that  had  been  so 
faithful  to  us.  At  first  there  were  but  few  of  the  dogs 
that  had  an  a])i)etite  for  the  llesh  of  their  fallen  comrade's; 
but  later,  when  i)nvisions  became  scarce  and  they  suf- 
fered from  hunger,  the  surxivors  all  ate  it  readily. 

Three  nights  of  marching  bn)Ught  us  within  sight  of 
Pctermann  I'jord.  In  the  background  we  could  see, 
through  the  clear  air,  to  Hall  Basin,  a  good  deal  south  of 
latitude  Si".  After  this  there  were  so  many  dee|)  cre- 
vasses in  the  ice  that  we  were  obliged  to  turn  more 
toward  the  east  than  our  course  had  thus  far  been  di- 
rected. On  the  3(1  of  June  ue  had  to  kill  another  dog. 
This  left  us  fourteen. 

I*or  a  few  days  we  made  ra|)id  j)rogress.  Tlien  we 
again  caught  s-'^litof  the  mountains  on  the  coast.  Dur- 
ing a  week  of  marching  on  the  ice  we  had  made  our  way 
into  a  trap  from  which  it  took  us  several  days  to  escape. 


■f  ^i 


AC7WSS  THE  ICE   CAP 

345 

0.1  the  9th  and  ,oth  of  June  there  was  a  snow-storm 
wh,eh  compelled  us  to  halt.  We  spent  the  time  uLer  ™ 
-  c  oth  cover,  an  improvised  sleeping-saloon  that  :^    no 

'tv,  """f'  '"  «"^  "^  ^"'^^  --'  l-rf-t  protection. 
U  hen  the  storm  was  over  we  resumed  our  march,  but 

vl  r;;.  """"«  """  *'•"  ••'  '-'^  ^our  when   we 

I     tin   we     T  ""  """""■  '^  '"■«'-■  ^'■'•■™'-»-    We  now 
sa«  that  we  had  conie  too  near  t],e  coasl  and  were  <roin<. 

down  a  slope  that  would  lead  us  to  a  dangerous  loca    y 

U  vas  ev,dent  that  we  must  again  climb  up  to  the  inland 

;u  lest  dog  spra,ned  a  leg,  Lagged  behind,  and  wa.s  lost 
W e  also  lost  an  excellent  telescope  <loun  a  crevasse. 

1  he  .me  that  f  .llowed  was  somewhat  monotonous,  yet 
«as  full  „f  „,terest  to  explorers.  On  account  of  the 
""."orous  crevasses  our  progress  w.as  slow;  but  when  on 

"..s  ovc,  an<l  our  spu.ts  were  perceptibly  raised.    Though 

Z       !   ::  ""  'TT  ''^•■■'?-  ""^-  "''"^  '  -"«  N""vegi  n 
M)ngs  a.s  well  as   I   knew  how       Af  fU  , 

;je  clogs  .ur,.d  their  hear;nc;^;f::u::ri:r::: 

tlieir  eyes  uulicated  that  thev  were  trvin.r  t  , 

selves  thnt  ti,      II.  ^  ^'"^  *"  ■■"''''"■c  tl'cm- 

scl  c    that  they  had  human  beings  for  companions. 

After  reaching  the  elevation  noted,  «.■  „   re  obliged  for 
-■  ...Uh.s  to  go  in  a  soii.heasierly  direction,  aso  ^     ,- 
l-OK-ss    w,-.s   checked    liv  a    fj,,d,    Victoria    Inle,      I 
*'emed  to  have  no  end      At  last    1,,  il        •  i  . 
lulv   I   T„l  ,  c  ,  "''   "'"'''  l^i-'t"'een 

I)    '   an.l  .we  foiuKl  that  it  was  a  canal  which  sep.a- 

r     ,1     d  ''"t  '"  ",'"'"  '"•"  "'^-  ^^'■^'  -""•"<•-'" 


could    sec    bolow    the   LMUI    of    thc   illl 


•iiul  ice.     Nearer 


i 


346 


AC/iOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


s 

«..     1 

'f 

3  ' 
i 

f|! 


'  n 


■ 


ii 


I 


M. 


"Iltvi 


1  ' 

»,> 

.1 

1  l         ►' '  - 

h     '■'■ ' 

and  nearer  we 
approached 
:     the    dark   mo- 
I'aine   until   at 
jjj^j     last  the  memo- 
rable  moment 
arrived    when 
we  set  foot  on  snow-free  land 
after  two  months  of  continuous  ski 
and  snow-shoe  running. 

It  was    nearly  midnight  when 
we  reached  the  moraine.     A  cou- 
l^le  of , snow-sparrows  chirped  us  a 
greeting  of  welcome,  and  we  heard 
the  pleasant  rippling  of  a  fountain 
among  the  large  stones  that  every- 
where covered  the  ground.     We 
did  not  need  coaxing  to  throw  our- 
selves upun  the  ground  and  drink 
freely    of    the   refreshing  stream. 
Life  had  never  seemed  more  beautiful  than  it  did  at  this 
Moment. 

Peary  at  on.  :  started  on  a  tour  of  discovery,  and  soon 
found  something  that  quickened  the  hunting  blood  in  our 
veins.     This  was  a  fresh  track  of  musk  oxen.     We  cer- 
tainly did  not  forget   to  take  a  rifle  and  some  cartridges 
with  us  when,  on  the  next   morning,  July  3.  we  started  on 
a  tour  with  provisions  sufficient    to  last  four  davs.     \\\ 
also  carried  thermometers,  barometers,  and  photograj)hic 
and  cooking  ap|)aratus.     Slinging  our  bundles  upon  our 
backs  we  were  off.     I'eary  led  the  way,  I  followed,  with 
our  seven  dogs.     ( )ur  sledges  and  the  rest  of  our  higgage 
we  left  behind  among  the  stones. 


w 

A    SI'KCIMIN  i>\-   CKI  INLAND 
Kl.ORA 


earer  we 
o  a  c  li  e  d 
!ark:  mo- 
iintil  at 
e  memo- 
moment 
:1  when 
ree  land 
nous  ski 

it  when 
A  con- 
ned us  a 
e  lieard 
ountain 
it  every- 
1.  We 
ow  our- 
d  drink 
stream, 
at  til  is 

d  soon 
in  our 
Ve  cer- 
Iridires 
ted  on 
.  \\\ 
;raj)hic 
•n  our 
I.  with 


it^gau^e 


ACROSS  THE  ICE   CAP 
Uj    md  down  we  went  to  the  coast,  over  hills  and  dales 

all  dai.  lakes  the  hvdong  day  before  we  stopped  to 
St.     Everywhere  we  found  numberless  small  k  ose  and 

stal  skm  kamiks  a  tune  of  continual  suffering 
^    Dunng   the  march  we  collected    specimens  of  several 
m  ne.aLs  and  also  obtained  a  numbe;  of  red  yelw  a  k 
wh,te  flowers  that  enlivened  the  otherwise  1^^^^ 
Several  tunes  we  found  tracks  of  musk  oxen/  ut     o  ^ 
or  the  anima  s  were  in  si.rhf      t„  fi  • 

Ihe  nex     day  brought  gin,!   surprises  and    „rov«l  a 
alter     tsum  ng   „ur  j„un,ey,  we  came    t<,  a  r„ck    about 

w  me.     We    ad  reached  the  east  coast,  but  n-e  on  K^d  a 
g  .mpse  of  what  „,.  desired  ,o  see  iu  broad  expanse      llr 
two  hours  we  presse.l  on,  but  then  there  was  a,    ;bru» 
enduig  of  our  niarehiuLr   f,„.  ,i,^  j,„      ,,.    '    •^'•/"•'"Pt 

a...  but  Httle  n,ore  than-;  ha,f:i,:tL;f,a  :;:<;;: 
o  so„,e>h,„g  ,ha,  auracted  our  attention  and  c^^    3 

::::,r:;::::,™;r:r;;rT'-'-.^--^ 

to  secure.    When  .he  dogs  were  attended  to.  ,  waited  la.^d 


348  ACJ^OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

islened  with  great  anxiety.     Soon   I    heard 


reports  of   the    rifle,  by  which 


thre 


ee 


sharp 


,•„  .  '  'y  ^^-^:citement  was  macie 

still  n.ore  n.tense.     At  length  the  tall  form  of  Peary  came 
nuo  view  on  the  slope  above  me.     He  nodded,  gc.ticu- 
a  ed,  and   laughed.     By  this  I  knew  what  had  occurred 
\\  e  were  to  have  a  supply  of  fresh  n.eat!     In  a  few  jumps 
I    cleared    the    Inll.     The    dogs   kept   me    company,  and 
double-qu.ck  tn.e  was  made  to  the  place  where  the  ani- 
mals lay.      I  here  were  two  cows  and  two  calves.     Three 
of  them   Peary  had  killed.     The  smallest  of  the  group  a 
y<Hmg  long-legged  calf,  w.s  alive  and  was  calling  fainily 
to  Its  dead  mother  for  protection. 

After  securing  our  dogs  to  some  large  stones  we  ap- 
proached our  game.  The  grown  animals  were  as  lar^e  as 
cows  two  years  old.  They  were  covered  with  long  black 
iian-  that,  when  they  stood  upright,  nearly  touched  the 
K-ound.  Fhe  heads  were  disproportionately  large,  the 
Horns  were  thick  and  curved,  and  the  faces  were  half 
I^Hlden  by  long  locks  resembling  manes.  Altogether,  the 
animals  presented  a  very  wild  and  uncanny  appearance. 

V\  e  photographed  the  creatures  in  different  positions, 
aiKl  then  removed  their  skins.  This  took  us  several 
hours.  Upon  searching  for  the  calf  we  found  it  Ivin.r 
cload  among  the  stones.  The  poor  creature  had  probably 
been  killed  by  fear  and  excitement. 

It  was  a  matter  of  course  that  we  should  celebrate  the 
securing  of  such  splendid  game  by  a  banquet  for  our- 
selves and  the  dogs.  Preparations  were  commenced  at 
once  We  began  by  roasting  pieces  of  the  meat  over  .^ur 
small  spirit  lamps,  but  as  this  took  a  long  time  we  became 
impatient  and  went  to  eating  it  raw.  I  sup,K)se  it  was 
because  we  had  been  eating  pemmican  so  long  that  our 


sharp 


ap- 


ACJtOSS  THE  ICE   CAP 

349 

appetites  for  fresh  meat  were  almost  insatiable.  VVe  ate 
so  much  that  we  were  really  alarmed.  ..'or  a  while  wl 
CO  d  hardly  keep  awake.  Our  splendid  feast  was  finished 
w.  h  a  few  cups  of  tea.  to  which  we  added  some  milk 
obtained  from  the  cows. 

We  did  not  forget  or  omit  to  feed  the  docr.s.     Thev 
were  greatly  e.veited  by  the  fresh  and  bloody  meat,  and 


MUSK    ()\ 


thoroughly  cleaned  all  the  bones  of  |l,e  lar^e  animals      r, 

was  late  at  night  when  we  a„  got  settled  d^n  7       p    " 

lhcne..t  monungwe  saw  another  lot  of  the  musk  cattle 

grazmg  at  a  little  distance  from  us      Tl,         """''^.'^'•"'•^ 

mals  in  this  herd      It  ,.  ''"'' '""''  "'•'  ""'" 

IS  ncKI.     It  v,..s  my  turn  to  use  the  rifle      UV 
d,c,  no    need  the  flesh  of  „,„re  than  one ;  and  as     did  ^ 

seld    L         ,  "       """"^  "■'"''"   ■^'"•"^'•"S  distance    I 
scicetcd    one    with    enormous    horns    simihr  tn   fl         i  , 

"'•■•'''^•■-^■i"^i"..iK,n,s,thatw.aseJi:::,y',::,:i;;:; 


m 


\ 


■r^ssss^ms^^ 


35° 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


1 1'  ■ 


the  band.  When  I  fired  he  fell,  fatally  wounded  ;  the 
others,  alarmed  at  the  report,  ran  a  fcnv  hundred  feet  and 
then  quietly  resumed  their  grazing. 

I  left  the  anin.al  where  it  fell  a"d  at  onee  returned  to 
the  camp,  n.  order  that  we  might  proceed  to  a  great  rock, 
about  five  miles  away,  from  the  top  of  which  we  expected 
to  obtain  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  region  and  take 
some  photographs  of  the  coast.  As  we  wished  to  do  this 
and  return  before  n  ghtfall,  there  was  no  time  to  lose 

We  reached  the  top  of  the  clitT  about  9  a.  m.     A  ma- 
nificent    view    spread    out    before    us -a  ^•iew    that  wiil 
never  be   forgotten.     W'c  were  at  a>i  elevation  of   about 
3j.Soo  feet.     The  rock,  to  which    Pear^- gave  the  name  of 
iNavyChff,  ended   touard   the  north   in  a  steep  wall   that 
continued  unbn.ken  to  the  sea.     At  its  h.ot  was  a  mic-hty 
bay,  widening   touard   the  east  and   surrounded  by  hi<rh 
and  steep  walls  of   rock.     Ihnv  far  this  bay  reached  we 
could   not  determine,  as   the  ^•ie^^    was  cut   off    by  larcre 
i-ocks;   but  we  considered  it  probable  (hat  it  was  directly 
connected  with  Victoria   Inlet,  and  that   these  two  lx,dies 
of  water  form  a  s„rt  of  canal  that  cuts  off  the  land  north 
of  the  82d  parallel  of  latitude  from   the  real  continent  of 
Greenland.     W'e  firmly  believe  that  here  the  main  body 
of  land  ends  and  that  all  the  land  to  the  north  is  in   the 
form  of  islands. 

We  took  a  number  of  astronomical  observations,  and 
then  got  out  our  photographic  apparatus  and  sketch- 
I^ooks.  \\  hen  we  had  finished  our  work  we  sat  down  to 
our  dinner.  Peary  brought  out  a  small  silver  llask  c.n- 
taining  whiskey,  which  he  carried  for  use  in  case  of  ill- 
ness. W'e  each  took  a  drink,  and  IVnrv  christened  the 
magnificent    body  of  water  we   had    found    Independence 


352 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


U 


m 


Bay,  in  honor  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  the  day  upon  which 
it  had  been  discovered.  We  then  built  a  tall  beacon  of 
stones  and  placed  in  its  centre  a  small  bottle  containing 
a  paper  upon  which  was  written  a  short  description  of  our 
trip  thus  far.  Two  silk  flags  which  we  had  brought  with 
us  were  fastened  to  a  bamboo  pole,  which  we  placed 
among  the  stones,  and  which  were  soon  waving  in  the 
fresh  summer  breeze. 

On  the  8th  of  July  we  commenced  our  return  trip,  that 
lasted  twenty-seven  days.  We  had  reached  a  height  of 
8,000  feet,  and  were  greatly  delayed  by  storms  and  deep 
loose  snow.  During  the  last  seven  days  our  average 
distance  was  thirty-two  miles  per  day,  but  during  this 
jjeriod  the  snow  was  firmer  and  the  walking  was  much 
better  than  it  had  previously  been.  During  most  of  the 
trip  Peary  used  Canadian  snow-shoes,  while  I  used  ski 
exclusively. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  as  we  were  nearing  our  winter 
quarters,  the  point  at  which  our  journey  was  begun,  we 
discovered,  at  a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  some  dark 
spots  moving  about  on  the  surface  of  the  snow.  We 
were  soon  convinced  that  they  were  men,  but  we  could 
only  guess  who  they  were  or  on  what  errand  they  were 
engaged.  The  doctor  or  Gibson  and  some  Eskimos 
might  be  out  searching  for  us,  but  that  seemed  hardly 
probable.  We  wondered  if  they  could  be  members  of  the 
expedition  that  was  to  take  us  home  and  who  were  out 
examining  the  borders  of  the  inland  ice.  We  even  que- 
ried whether  the  ship  that  brought  them  might  not  at 
that  moment  be  lying  in  McCormick  Bay  awaiting  our 
return, 
-  Very  soon  after  we  saw  these  men  they  caught  sight  of 


I  n 


11  which 
aeon  of 
itaining 
n  of  our 
^ht  with 
placed 
r  in  the 

rip,  that 
ei'j^ht  of 
nd  deep 
averaue 
um  this 
IS  much 
t  of  the 
used  ski 


ir  winter 
^gun,  we 
ne  dark 
iw.  We 
^e  coukl 
ley  were 
Eskimos 
:1  liardlv 
rs  of  the 
\'ere  out 
VQn  que- 
t  not  at 
ting  our 


sitiht  of 


ACJ?OSS   THE  ICE   CAP 

353 

us.     We  thought  we  could  distinguish  a  faint  sound  as 
of  shoutmg,  and  the  report  of  a  gun.     We  answered  im 
mediately  with  heartv  cheers  ^„A   r  j-    u         ,  ^'^^'^  ™- 
twice.  "''"'^"^'^^ers,  and  I  discharged  our  rifle 

be°corr!ct'  T'"  '"  "^"'  '°  *'  '^""P^"^  P'-°™d  to 
correct.  As  we  approached  we  found  that  the  fore- 
most of  the  party  was  Professor  Heilprin,  of  Philadelphia 
the  geologist  who  had  accompanied  us  on  the  trip  of  're' 
previo..  year  and  who  was  leader  of  this  rescue'expedi! 
ton.  The  other  member,  of  the  party,  seven  in  number 
were  also  from  Philadelphia.  Of  these,  four  were  seen-' 
.s.  one  was  an  engineer,  one  an  artist,  and  one  a T:.- 

ca  ried  1     '  ""■'    "^'""''^  '■"  ■"°''^™  '°""«'  >^"its  and 
earned  shn,mg  mountain  staffs  and  ice-axes,  but  none  of 

them  had  e.tljer  snow-shoes  or  ski.  As  the  cold  of  the 
pre^edrng  „,ght  had  not  been  severe  enough  to  form  ! 
mzen  crust  upon  the  surface  of  the  deep  and  moist  snow 
^^y  were  obhged  to  wade  in  a  substance  resemblin,: 
powdered  sugar,  n,to  which  they  sank  to  the  knees  an2 
some  nnes  to  the  hips.  The  fact  that  they  had  walked 
about  five  mdes  ,n  this  terrible  slush  was  abundant  evi- 
dence of  their  zeal  and  perseverance 

At  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
fee  we  commenced  ••.shooting"  at  each  other  with  the 
we^known  .nap-shot  kodaks.  These  little  instruments 
w,th  their  short  cracks  gave  a  kind  of  warlike  appearance 
to  our  meeting  -  „ji„  ^,  sieck  infantry  volley,  indeed. 

As  the  parties  approached  each  other  a  glad  hurrah 
sounded  through  the  thin  mountain  air.  Then  came  the 
most  hearty  shaking  of  hands  and  an  enthusiastic  greetin.. 
of  he  men  who  had  come  with  the  steamer  A"//,  to  take 
us  back  to  civilized  society.     Never  to  be  forgotten  was 

23  ° 


1    I  ' 


IM 


I ,  f 'p^^ 


1 1 

if-     IT' 


IH 


WtKmmvt 


ilJi- 


354 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


this  meeting  with  fellow-men  after  seventy-two  days  of 
loneliness  on  an  almost  boundless  field  of  snow.  Neither 
can  we  ever  forget  the  intense  interest  and  deep  enjoy- 
ment with  which  we  listened  to  a  recital  of  the  great 
events  which  had  occurred  in  the  inhabited  world  during 
the  year  that  had  passed  since  we  left  our  homes. 

Slowly  we  made  our  way  over  the  snow,  but  conversa- 
tion did  not  flag.  At  length  we  reached  the  ship.  Our 
great  journey  was  at  an  end. 

Since  leaving  the  house  we  had  spent  more  than  ninety 

days  on  the  inland  ice  of  Greenland,  and  had  travelled 

about  thirteen  hundred  miles.     We  had  found  the  exact 

northern  extent  of  the  mighty  ice  cap  of  this  great  region, 

and,  with  a  probability  bordering  on  certaintyrhad  defined 

the  limits  of  the  Greenland  continent  to  the  north.     Our 

observations  showed  that  the  land  rapidly  grows  narrow 

a  little  beyond  latitude  78°,  and  very  clearly 'indicated  the 

existence  of   several  ice-free  islands  to  the  north  of  the 

mainland.     We  also  obtained  a  great  deal  of  information 

regarding  the  meteorology  of  the  region  and  the  height 

of  the  inland  ice. 

With  our  five  faithful  dogs  we  went  upon  the  deck  of 
the^  vessel.  Here  the  fHendly  sailors  joyfully  gave  us 
their  i^ands  and  warmly  congratulated  us  upon  the  suc- 
cess Oi  our  exploring  tour  and  our  safe  return.  I  hardly 
need  say  that  one  of  the  first  things  we  did  after  reaching 
the  vessel  was  to  take  a  thorough  bath  and  put  on  clean 
clothes.  Then  an  accommodating  sailor  freed  us  from 
a  large  quantity  of  long  matted  hair.  This  gave  us  a 
rather  decent  appearance,  and  we  gathered  around  the 
table  for  dinner,  where  we  spent  abundant  time  and  did 
full  justice  to  the  meal. 


o  days  of 
Neither 
:ep  enjoy- 
the  great 
Id  durino; 


con  versa- 
lip.     Our 

an  ninety 
travelled 
the  exact 
It  region, 
:1  defined 
th.     Our 
s  narrow 
:ated  the 
h  of  the 
ormation 
e  height 

deck  of 
gave  us 
the  suc- 
I  hardly 
'each  in  a: 
)n  clean 
-IS  from 
ve  us  a 
Lind  the 
and  did 


ACHOSS  THE  ICE   CAP 
Two  days  later  we  had  all  of  our  things  on  board,  and 
_t  e  KUe  steamed  down  the  bay  to  our  winter  quarters 
I  here  we  were  cordially  welcomed  by  the  other  members^ 
of   the  expedition, -the    doctor,   Gibson,   VerhoefT   and 
Peary  s  man  Mat,  all  of  whom  met  us  at  the  she"       Be 
h.nd  tl,em  stood  a  number  of  our  native  friends,  who  xll 
ago  had  g,ven  up  all  hope  of  our  ever  returning  from  t  e 
Sreut  mountams,  "  Sormoksuak."    Their  faces  wereTeam 
>ng  w,th  ,oy,  and  the  men  listened  in  breathless  e.c  e- 
-en    when  a  little  later,  I  ga^e  them  a  description  rf  our 
-eefng  w.th   musk  oxen  on  the  eastern    cist.     IZy 
«ere  the  questions  that  I  had  to  answer;  and  with  their 
.al  desn-e  for  exact  information,  they  were  not  satisfied 
unt,l   I  had  gn-en  them  upon  paper  a  careful  drawino-  of 
our  route  over  the  inland  ice  and  of  the  coasts  beyond" 

Before  we  saHed  for  home  a  sad  n,i.fortune  overtook 
us^    Th,swas  the  loss  of  our  mineralogist  and  meteoro- 
logical observer,  Mr.  Verhoeff,  who  perished  while  on  an 
excursion  which  he  undertook  alone.     He  had  intended 
to  be  away  for  two  days.    As  he  did  not  return  at  the  end 
of  that  time  we  began  to  feel  anxious  in  regard  to  him 
and  on  tlie  evening  of  the  tnird  day  commenced  a  dili^fent 
search.     For  seven  days  and   nights  we  continued 'our 
efforts;  bu    with  the  exception  of  .some  footprints  on  the 
.now,  not  the  slightest  trace  of  our  missing  companion 
could  be  found,  and   we  were  forced  to  the  belief  that 
fm-ther  work    m  this  direction   would    be  without   avail 
Ihe  general  opinion  was  that  our  unfortunate  friend  had 
alien  mtoone  of  the  many  deep  creva,sses  which  make 
rave  hng  extremely  perilous  in  the  region  which  he  at- 
tempted to  explore. 

On  the  24th  of  August  the  Kile  slowly  steamed  out  of 


!B' 


f-fi 


J?  I  f, , 

.'  Ill 


356 


AC/WSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


McCornnVk  Bay  and  away  from  our  small  winter  quarters, 
wbc.:  'AC  had  spent  many  happy  hours.  It  was  with 
nui.  -1-r]  feelings  of  joy  and  sorrow  that  among  hundreds 
of  .0  '.  s  we  at  last  lost  sight  of  our  little  house.  Four 
weeks  Uiter,  after  having  sojourned  for  fourteen  months 
amcou  desert  ice  fields,  we  found  ourselves  once  more  ui 
a  civilized  land. 


^i  ■  I  i  t 


ffi 


f' 


k' 


t , 


PEARY    AND   ASTRUP    HOISTINC    FLAGS    ON    NAVY    CI.IFK 


quarters, 
,vas  with 
iundreds 
e.  Four 
months 
more  in 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE    SECOND    PEARY    EXPEDIilON 

Scarcely  nine  months  had  passed  after  our  return 
before  the  energetic  leader  of  our  party  was  again  on 
his  way  north  at  the  head  of  another  Arctic  expedition. 

This  expedition  left  New  York  on  the  sealer  Falcon 
July  2,  1893.  It  was  much  more  fully  equipped  than  the 
previous  expedition  had  been.  Among  the  novelties  were 
eight  Mexican  mules,  which  were  said  to  be  of  a  remark- 
ably strong  and  hardy  breed,  and  which  were  taken  for 
the  purpose  of  transporting  provisions  from  our  winter 
quarters  up  to  the  border  of  the  inland  ice.  We  also  took 
along  a  pigeon-house  containing  a  large  number  of  carrier 
pigeons.  It  was  Peary's  intention  to  use  these  biids,  while 
travelling  in  the  interior  of  Greenland,  to  carry  messages 
to  the  winter  quarters  of  the  exped'fon,  but  they  did  not 
prove  to  be  well  adapted  to  this  kind  of  service. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  number  and  kind  of  boats,  we 
were  provided  with  a  launch  fitted  with  a  petroleum 
engine  that  we  expected  would  be  of  great  service  in 
short  excursions  for  hunting  and  in  making  surveys  near 
our  winter  quarters.  This,  too,  proved  a  disappointment, 
as  the  boat  was  too  light,  and  the  engine  did  not  give 
sufficient  power.  Peary  had  hoped,  after  the  long  winter 
set  m,  to  use  this  engine  in  the  house  in  connection  with 
a  dynamo  which  we  had  taken  along  to  furnish  us  with 
electric  lights. 


MRX  i-lj 


>  y 


358 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


"  ■  Ji '  ■•■« 


I  • 


m^ 


^•'1 


1! 


El' 


'IPI 


Ml 


•». 


YOL'NG    hSKl.'IO   (JIKLS   AND   NATIVE    HUT  AT   (lODIIAVN 

\\  hen  Ave  lert  America  our  party  numbered  fourteen 
members.  This  number  was  later  increased  to  fifteen,  as 
Mrs.  Peary,  who  accompanied  her  husband  in  this  as  well 
as  m  his  previous  expedition  to  the  Arctic  rei^ions,  in  the 
autumn  ;,rave  birth  to  a  daui^diter,  who  lived  and  was  well 
and  strong  when  the  voyage  to  the  civilized  world  was 
made.  Mrs.  Cross,  an  elderly  woman,  also  went  with  us 
to  serve  as  cook.  ,ind,  when  needed,  in  the  capacity  of 
nurse.  On  the  return  voyage  in  the  Falcon  the  following 
autumn,  she  was  taken  ill,  and  she  lived  but  a  short  time 
after  the  ship  arrived  at  Philadelphia. 

The  other  membe-.s  of  the  expedition  were  as  follows: 
Mr.  Ivntrikiii,  engineer;  Dr.  \'incent,  physician  ;  Mr. 
Baldwin,  meteorologist;  Mr.  Clari<,  zoologist ;  Mr.  Svvain, 
secretary  and  stenographer;  Messrs.  Lee,  Davidson,  Carr, 
and  myself.     Then,  wiihout  being  really  a  member  of  the 


m 


rtecn 
Ml,  as 
i  well 
the 


wcl 


Id  was 


us 


'ith 


city  of 
low  ing 
t  time 


lows  : 

iMr. 

uvain, 

CaiT, 

)f  the 


mm 


iv> 


;.( 


Ml 


360  ACJ^OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

expedition,  Mr.  Stokes,  an  artist,  went  with  us  ior  tlie  pur- 
pose of  painting  Arctic  scenes.     J.astly,  there  was  Matt 
Peary's  colored  servant,  who  had  accompanied  us  on  our 
previous  voyage. 

On  our  way  northward  the  Falcon  stopped  at  several 
of  the  English  mission  stations  on  the  east  coast  of  Lab- 
rador in  order  to  purchase  dogs  from  the  Eskimos  We 
obtained  about  twenty,  and  then  set  our  course  directly 
for  Greenland.  On  July  26  we  sighted  the  lofty  snow- 
covered  mountains,  and  that  night  we  stopped  at  the 
Danish  colony,  Holstensborg.  Two  days  later  we  reached 
Godhavn  and  then  proceeded  to  Upernavik. 

On  July  31  we  passed  Melville  Bry,  and  on  August  3 
the  Falcon  anchored  in  Bowdoin  Ba)-,  about  twenty^miles 
east  of  our  first  winter  quarters. 

We  proceeded  at  once  to  construct  a  dwelling.  On 
account  of  having  twice  as  many  people,  we  were  obliged 
to  build  on  a  larger  scale  than  we  had  done  before.  The 
house  was  made  thirty-three  feet  long  anrl  fourteen  feet 
wide  and  was  divided  into  several  small  rooms. 

On  August  20  the  Falcon  sailed  for  NewfwundK  .ui.  In 
the  following  dnys  the  house  was  finished  and  Peary  r-hris- 
tened  it  Anniversary  Lodirc. 

Meanwhile  I  was  engaged  in  mo-ing  some  five  uiou- 
sand  pounds  of  provisions  from  the  coast  to  the  iniar  1  ice. 
i'i  *hi-  work  I  had  the  assistance  of  tw  :.ty  nar(\  s.  Wc 
hcici  planned  to  have  the  hauling  don.-  ly  mules,  but  of 
the  eight  wb.ich  we  had  when  we  left  Philadelphia  five 
had  died  and  the  three  that  sur -red  proved  entirely  un- 
fit ed  for  service  in  the  wild  region  to  which  we  had  taken 
ihcni. 

Piiring  the  months  <.^  September  an'     ictober  a  good 


r  the  pur- 
ras  Matt, 
IS  on  our 

it  several 
t  of  Lab- 
los.     We 

directly 
ty  snow- 
1   at   the 

reached 


.iigust  3 
ty  miles 


ig.     On 

obliged 

2.     The 

ten  feet 

nd.     In 

y  '"hris- 

C    lilOU- 

\vl  ice. 
^.  Ue 
but  of 
lia  five 
cly  un- 
1  taken 

a  good 


m 


m 


si      < 


hi 


111 
W 


1' 

\i 

''] 

i 

' 

; 

,i 

i^ii 

,1 

•>■ '  1 

'1 

'i 

i    1^ 


.  -,r 


t 


362 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


deal  of  time  was  spciit  in  hunting,  in  order  that  we  might 
secure  a  supply  of  meat  for  use  in  the  coming  winter. 
We  also  erected  a  depot,  in  which  to  store  provisions,  on 
the  inland  ice. 

Our  hunters  were  very  successful.  Before  the  end  of 
October  they  had  secured  seventy  reindeer  and  twenty 
walrus.  The  meat  of  the  animals  last  named  was  used 
for  feeding  our  dogs  during  the  winter.  The  autumn  was 
unusually  mild  as  far  as  temperature  was  concerned,  but  it 
was  rainy  and  disagreeable.  Bowdoin  Bay  did  not  freeze 
over  till  the  early  part  of  November.  This  was  a  full 
month  later  than  it  froze  in  1891. 

On  October  26  the  sun  left  us,  to  be  absent  from  our 

sight  for  about  four  months,  and  the  monotonous  winter 

life  begaii.     Five  days  Irter  a  catastrophe  occurred  that 

came  very  near  carrying  the  expedition   into  utter  ruin. 

A  mighty  iceberg,  loosened  from  the  mountain  near  our 

dwelling,    swept  down    the    bay  with    terrific   force,    and 

caused  a  flood   that  inundated  the  shore  and  house  and 

carried  with  it  the  tliirty-two   barrels  of  petroleum  upon 

which  we  were  depending  for  fuel  and  light  during  the 

winter.     Fortunately  only  four  of  the  barrels  were  totally 

lost.       rhe    others    were    recovered    with  great    difficulty 

after  quite  a  proportion  of  their  contents  had  been  lost  by 

leakage.     From  this   time    we   were  obliged    to   be  very 

economical  in  the  use  of  coal  oil,  and  alf  hope  of  having 

electric  lights  had  to  be  abandoned. 

With  the  opening  of  winter  we  began  to  receive  visits 
from  c  -  friends,  the  Eskimos,  who  helped  us  faithfully 
and  untiringly  with  whatever  work  we  happened  to  have 
on  hand.  The  months  of  November  and  Hccember  were 
largely  spent  in  preparing  clothes  and  equipments  for  the 


ve  might 
y  winter. 
sions,  on 


2  end  of 

1  twenty 
vas  used 
jmn  was 
2d,  but  it 
3t  freeze 
IS  a  fuJ] 

rom  our 
s  winter 
red  that 
er  ruin, 
lear  our 
ce,  and 
iise  and 
in  upon 
ing  the 

2  totally 
ifficulty 
lost  by 

be  very 
having 

T  visits 
ithfully 
lO  have 
er  were 
for  the 


TJI£:  SECOND  PEARY  EXPEDITION  363 

journey  in  the  coming  spring.  Christmas  and  New  Year 
were  celebrated  in  an  appropriate  manner.  February 
brought  the  severest  cold,  minus  37°  Celsius.  On  the 
14th  of  this  month  daylight  appeared  again.  During 
the  winter  more  than  half  of  our  dogs  had  died ;  but  as 
the  Eskimos  had  a  large  number,  we  had  no  difficulty  in 
purchasing  thirty  from  them. 

On   March  6  the  whole  equipment  was  brought  up  to 
the  border  of  the  inland  ice,  and  everything  was  in  rcadi 
ness  for  the  long  and  wearisome  journey. 

At  this  time  I  was  attacked  by  an  illness,  probably  pro- 
duced by  eating  pemmican,  which  made  it  unadvisable 
for  me  to  attempt  to  take  further  part  in  the  work  of  the 
expedition.  I  was  compelled,  very  reluctantly,  however, 
to  give  up  my  long  cherished  plan,  though  at  Peary's 
request  I  remained  a  few  days  longer  at  the  depot.  On 
March  14  I  returned  to  the  house,  accompanied  by  Lee, 
who  had  frozen  one  of  his  feet  so  seriously  that  he  could 
not  proceed  with  the  others.  About  two  weeks  after  our 
return  Dr.  Vincent  also  reached  the  house  with  Davidson, 
who  had  frozen  one  of  his  heels  very  badly  during  the 
terrible  equinoctial  storm  that  raged  in  those  regions 
March  22  and  23.  During  this  storm  the  temperature 
was  mmus  45°  Celsius,  a  remarkable  phenomenon  in  con- 
nection with  such  a  violent  wind  as  then  prevailed. 

After  the  storm  was  over  it  was  found  that  several  of 
the  dogs  had  been  frozen  to  death  and  all  of  the  others 
were  more  or  less  injured.  This  was  the  k,st  news  I 
heard  from  the  exijcdition  till  May  i.  as  I  was  absent  on  a 
sledge  trip  around  Melville  Hay,  which  I  undertook  with 
a  friendly  native  hunter  and  eight  clogs. 

On   my  return  to  winter  quarters   I  found  that  Peary 


M^r 


immama 


I  ■ 


364 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


and  his  companions  had  been  compelled  to  give  up  the 
journey  and  had  come  back  from  the  inland  ice.  The 
violent  storms  and  the  extremely  low  temperature,  minus 
45°  Celsius,  had  greatly  diminished  the  number  of  dogs. 
Mr.  Entrikin  had  both  of  his  feet  frozen,  and  all  the  otlfer 
members  of  the  party  were  in  a  condition  which  entirely 
unfitted  them  to  continue  the  trip. 

There  is  very  little  to  be  said  about  the  remainder  of 


''*«%„-' 


SEA-UIRDS 


the  time  that  we  spent  in  Greenland,  VVc  were  all 
earnestly  longing  for  the  Falcon  to  come  and  take  us 
home. 

One  beautiful  evening  toward  the  close  of  July  two  na- 
tives brought  us  word  that  a  ship  had  arrived.  The  news 
was  received  with  great  joy  and  hearty  cheers. 

The  return  voyage  in  the  Falcon  was  quickly  and  safely 
made,  and  was  without  any  incident  worthy  of  notice       ' 

This  is  all  that  it  seems  necessary  to  say  concernino- 


'e  up  the 
:e.  The 
re,  minus 

of  dogs, 
the  other 

entirely 


THE  SECOND  PE..RY  EXPEDITION  365 

the  expedition.  Lieutenant  Peary  received  a  quantity  of 
provisions  and  coal  from  the  Falcon,  and  remained  at 
winter  quarters,  intending  to  spend  another  year  in  that 
desert  region.  Lee  and  Matt,  the  colored  servant,  also 
remained  with  him. 


ainder  of 


'ere   all 
ake   us 

wo  na- 
e  news 

I  safely 

:e. 

erning 


^^^ff! 


n. 


m 


III    'I       ' 

i      ''       • 


I 


niiif.  :l 


CHAPTER  XXI 

NATIVES    AT    SMITH    SOUND 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  July  23,  1891,  the  /O'/e  was 
slowly  nearing  land  on  the  south  side  of  Whale  Sound. 
From  the  deck  we  discovered  what  appeared  to  be  human 
dwellings.  A  boat  was  quickly  lowered,  and  we  pulled 
for  the  shore.  The  land  was  considerably  elevated,  but 
we  succeeded,  though  with  some  difficulty,  in  effecting  a 
landing.  We  then  found  a  collection  of  tents  and  eardi- 
huts  situated  in  a  sheltered  position  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain. 

There  were  about  a  dozen  people  at  this  little  settle- 
ment.    The  men  promptly  came  to  the  shore  to  meet  us, 
but  the  women   and  the   children  cautiously  kept  in  the 
background.     Two  of  us  involuntarily  held  out  our  hands 
to  greet  them  in  the  manner  of  civilized  people,  but  our 
action  made  a  singular  impression  upon  those  with  whom 
we  desired  to   become   acquainted.     Instead  of   shaking 
hands  they  stared  at  us  with  surprised  looks  upon  thci!- 
faces,  apparently  without  the   slightest  idea  of   what  we 
meant.     Soon,  however,  they  seemed  to  understand  that 
we  were  peaceable  people,  and  that  we  had  no  intention 
of  injuring  them.     Then  all  was  changed,  and  the  scene 
which  at  first  had  been  quite  dull  became  very  lively  and 
interesting. 

One  of  our  sailors  who,  during  the  landing,  happened 
to    be    smoking  a  short    pipe   attracted  a  great   deal    of 


Kite  was 
J  Sound, 
e  human 
e  pulled 
ated,  but 
fecting  a 
d  earth- 
ot   of   a 

e  settle- 
meet  us, 
t  in  the 
11"  hands 
but  our 
li  whom 
shaking 
)n  their 
:hat  we 
nd  that 
itention 
I  scene 
ely  and 

ppened 
ieal    of 


NATIVES  AT  SMITH  SOUND  35^ 

attention,  and  the  clouds  of  smoke  that  he  puffed  out  at 
mtervas  made  a  strong  impression  upon  the  natives,  who 
evidently  thought   he  was   endowed   with    mystica    Ind 
supernatural   gifts.     Their   astonishment  was 'great  yt 
creased  when  w.h  a  quick  movement,  he  lighted  a  m'ath 
and  thus  produced  still  larger  clouds  of  smoke  from  his 
remarkable  "lamp."     It  was  evident  that  the  people  b  ! 
ore  us  had  never  come  in  contact  with  civilized  men  and 
that  most  of   them   had  never   seen  a  ship.     The  h 
appeared  to  them  a  wonderful  object 

The  natives  were  not  the  only  ones  who  were  inter- 
ted  and  surprised.  Their  appearance  made  as  strong 
an  m.pression  upon  our  minds  as  we  had  made  upon 
HeH-  own.  Uncouth,  dirty,  and  with  features  anything 
but  regular  they  seemed  to  belong  to  an  inferior' race 
while  their  long,  shaggy  black  hair,  which  hung  over  thei; 
skin-clothed  shoulders  and,  in  some  cases,  even  over  thel 

Imlt     f''"'  ^'"  '""  '  ""^^'^""^^  ^'^''^'  -d  an 
almost  terrifying  appearance. 

Later  on  I  saw  that  some  of  the  natives  were  not  so 
negligent  in  regard  to  their  hair  as  were  those  with  whom 
we  here  eame  in  contact.  Some  of  the  women,  especially 
the  younger  ones,  often  had  their  hair  fastened  in  a  sort 
of  topknot  by  a  thin  seal-skin  strap.  Sometimes,  too  a 
man  would  be  seen  having  a  similar  strap  arotmd  his 
head,  m  order  to  keep  his  eyes  free  from  his  long  greasy 
locks  of  hair.  These  locks,  which  closely  resembl  Z 
manes  of  horses,  are  knotted  into  solid  masses,  and  make 
nice  and  warm  domiciles  for  numerous  parasites. 

The  Eskimo  forehead  is  low,  the  face  broad,  and  the 
features  ugly.  The  eyes  are  almond-shaped  and  small, 
but  their  power  of  vision  is  really  wonderful.     The  nose 


I,  I, 


i 


368 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


<\- 


Ui 


is  small  and  broad,  the  mouth  large  with  thick  lips,  which 
with  the  fair  sex  have  no  resemblance  to  the  ideal  "  cherry 
lips  "  of  which  so  much  is  said  and  written  by  civilized 
people.  Probably  this  is  the  reason  the  men  do  not  kiss 
their  wives,  but  instead,  if  they  wish  to  show  especial  ten- 
derness, press  their  flat  noses  still  flatter  against  the  faces 
of  the  others.  As  a  rule  this  aress  is  accompanied  by 
an  audible  sniff. 

Within  the  protruding  lips  shine  rows  of  strong  teeth 
which  are  firmly  set  in  heavy  muscular  jaws,  and  which 
are  used,  not  only  for  eating,  but  also  for  pulling  loads 
and  in  the  various  kinds  of  their  daily  work. 

The  women  also  understand,  as  well  as  their  sisters 
living  farther  south,  how  to  use  their  mouths.  Some- 
times, too,  they  use  them  for  very  practical  purposes.  As 
a  single  illustration,  I  will  mention  the  fact  that,  after  it 
has  been  stretched  and  dried,  they  chew,  inch  by  inch, 
each  skin  that  the  men  secure  in  hunting.  In  this  way 
they  make  the  skins  so  pliable  that  they  can  readily  be 
made  into  clothes. 

From  the  description  I  have  given  it  will  readily  be 
seen  that,  if  judged  by  his  face,  an  Eskimo  would  not  take 
a  prize  at  a  beauty  show  in  competition  with  Europeans. 
The  bodies  come  much  nearer  our  ideal,  and  the  hands 
and  feet  are  of  only  medium  size  and  are  well  formed, 
though  the  appearance  of  the  men's  hands  is  often  in- 
jured by  numerous  cuts  and  scars. 

In  regard  to  the  color  of  the  skin  of  these  people  it  is 
difficult  to  form  a  correct  opinion.  This,  because  of  the 
dirt  with  which  it  is  thickly  and  almost  constantly  coated. 
When  sufficiently  clean  to  show  its  natural  tint  it  appears 
to  be  a  light  brown  shaded  with  yellow  or  gray.     Though 


rn 


NATURES  AT  SMITH  SOUND  ^(^ 

Cleanness  of  the  hsknnos  at  Smith  Sound  should  not  be 
made  too  much  a  matter  of  reproach.  !t  is  one  of  the 
natural  and  almost  inevitable  consequences  of  teh  J 
conditions  under  which  they  live. 

During  nine  or  ten  months  of  the  year  all  the  water 

uy  meJting  snow  or  ice  in  stone  vessels  whirh 

^.uires  a  ,ar.er^;i;-- --r  t::^^ 
P    vide      Consequently  a  bath  is  an  unknown  Jnd,  unde 
ex     ing    circumstances     an    almost    impossible    luxury, 
^tilk  If  they  were  anxious  to  be  clean  they  misht  do 
something  in  this  direction  by  means  of  a  wet  bfd-  ,^n 

::t  in  tZ  ^'™%  f "' '  "^'"^  -  --^-^<'  --  nt" 

est  m  this  respect  dunng  our  sojourn  with  them      The 
women  in  whom  a  desire  to  please  seemed  as  strong  as  i 
■s  m  their  sister,  of  civilized  lands,  certainly  made  some 
attempts  to  improve  their  appearance. 

Possibly  one  reason  why  these  people   care   so  little 
about  cleaniness  is  the  fact  that  it  does  not  appear  to  be 
essential  to  health.     The  air  seems  to  be  free  from  bac 
eria,  and  the  severe  and   long-continued  cold  evfden  ly 
tends  to  prevent  the  diseases  which  filth  is  certain  to  gen 
erate  in  warm  climates.  "^ 

trib'es'  "t::  "'  .^'"'  ^°""'  =•"  ''^"'^^^^  f-™  »"  other 
',,?••,      "   ''f  "■'  ""■'  '™  ''""^^'^''  •-'"d  thirty-four 

bnths  exceede<l  that  of  the  deaths  by  nine 
24 


.'iiiil 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


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Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WEBSTER,  N.Y    M380 

(716)  l/l^SOS 


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; 

V. 


I<  I  ■ 

f 


If 


iff  •>•' 


I  ''I 


h  t  • 


■ 


I- 


If 


r^ 

K^ 


HAPTER   XXII 


HUNTING 


In  order  to  obtain  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Eski- 
mos it  is  necessary  to  observe  them  at  their  daily  occu- 
pations.    First  of  all,  you  must  go  hunting  with  them 
Autumn  has  come,  and  in  every  day  that  passes  the  sun 
draws  nearer  and   nearer  to  the  southern  horizon.     Ere 
long  comes  a  day  when  it  sends  its  last  golden  greetino- 
to  the  desert   landscape   and  disappears  from  view.      In 
a  lonely  and  protected  fjord  you  will  see  a  red-cheeked 
Esknno,  who  by  jumping  over  tiie  blocks  of  ice  near  the 
land  has  succeeded  in  setting  foot  on  the  newly  frozen 
autumn  ice.     His  face  is  beaming  with  joy.     Life  is  offer- 
ing  him  many  attractions.      Summer,  with  its    constant 
smiles  day  and  night,  had  begun  to  be  somewhat  monoto- 
nous, and  he  greets   the  winter  as  a  dear  and  welcome 
guest.     Now  that  new  ice  has  formed  on  the  bay  he  can 
begin  the  exciting  hunt  for  seals.     On  the  shore  in  front 
of   the    low   hut   stands    his    young,  wife,  smiling  at  the 
thought  of  soon  having  some  fresh  seal  meat  after  livincr 
during  the  summer  upon   tough  narwhal  flesh  and   the 
auks,  which  furnish  most  of  the  food  supplies  during  that 
season. 

Cautiously  the  native  tries  the  strength  of  the  ice  with 
his  seal-spear,  and  moves  farther  and  farther  out  upon  its 
glassy  surface.  Smaller  and  smaller  he  seems  to  become, 
until  at  length  he  disappears  behind  an  immense  iceberg! 


the  Eski- 
laily  occu- 
nth  them. 
:s  the  sun 
2on.     Ere 
greeting 
^iew.      In 
;l-cheeked 
near  the 
'ly  frozen 
e  is  offer- 
constant 
:  monoto- 
welcome 
Y  lie  can 
in  front 
g  at  the 
ter  living 
and  the 
ring  that 

ice  with 

Uj)on  its 

become, 

iceberg. 


ffUNTING   ' 
This  is  too  much  for  his  three  faiHif,,!  j 
bear.     Standing  on  the  shZ   th  ^^"  '"  ''"'""^ 

ears  erect,  and^with  ever:  in^'icS,  of"  T'^'^''  ^"^ 
their  master  on  his  lonely  w.  k      Th  '"''  '"'""'*' 

-%  at  the  straps  .tt^ltt  thirirr-tL":  IZy 


WATCHING    FOR    SKAL 


ones  and  the.r  planuive  howls  fill  the  air.    They  rea'ize 

used  to  ?  '"■ '""''"  '"'-K*-''  '»*  cheerfully  thev 

used  to  draw  h„n  on  the  sledge  over  the  ice !     His  Lp,T 

ent  neglect  seems  more  than   thev  can   endure      Th 
owls  become  stil,  louder  and  more  dilalt    'his'S 

or;rci::rir/o'::p '• '''- '"-  "^  -«" 

Meanwhile  the  hunter  continues  his  walk  upon  the  ice 
He  moves  slowly,  and  has  an  air  of  constant  w'a.;, Jl::;.- 


I  II   • 

i  IJH, 


•U\ 


'i  t 


372  ^CJ?OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

In  his  right  hand  he  carries  a  seal-spear  and  the  line 
belonging  to  it.  In  his  left  hand  he  has  a  piece  of  bear- 
skin, and  fastened  with  a  strap  on  his  back  is  a  well-worn 
hunting-knife  with  a  handle  made  from  the  tooth  of  a 
walrus. 

Suddenly  he  stops  and  bends  over  the  ice.    He  has  dis- 
covered an  opening  about  five  inches  in  diameter      This 
IS  a  breathing-hole  of  a  seal.     He  now  cautiously  places 
the  small  piece  of  skin   on   the  ice  near  the  hole,  and 
quietly  sits  down   to  await  the  appearance  of  the  seal 
But  as  a  seal  often  has  several  of  these  breathing-holes* 
It  may  be  a  long  time  before  he  will  come  to  the  one 
at  which  the  hunter  is  located.     Patiently  the  hunter  sits 
there,  hour  after  hour,  like  a  cat  watching  a  rat-hole,  until 
the  nose  of  the  seal  appears  r    the  small  opening 

This  is  a  critical  moment.  The  opening  is  small,  and 
the  spear  must  be  guided  with  a  true  aim  and  sure  hand 
or  the  game  will  be  missed,  and  the  long  and  weary  wait 
wi  1  bring  no  return.  If  the  hunter  fails,  and  there  is  a 
lack  o  food  at  the  house,  he  must  either  wait  again  or, 
If  he  happens  to  know  of  other  breathing-holes,  go  as 
quickly  as  possible  to  the  one  which  he  thinks  the  fright- 
ened  seal  will  be  the  most  likely  to  visit. 

If  he  hits  the  seal  he  finds  that  the  opening,  which  was 
made  only  for  its  nose,  is  much  too  small  to  allow  the 
body  of  the  animal  to  come  through.  He  therefore  at 
once  s^ets  to  work  to  enlarge  the  spot.  This  work  is  done 
with  the  hunting-knife,  which  is  used  with  wonderful  dcx- 
tenty.  If,  when  it  is  pulled  upon  the  ice,  the  seal  is  not 
dead,  It  ,s  killed  with  the  knife,  but  with  a  bone  needle 
the  hunter  soon  sews  up  the  wound,  in  order  to  prevent  as 
tar  as  possible  the  loss  of  blood. 


HUNTING 

^  7  'J 

Then,  with  his  heart  filled  with  inv  fi,„      .• 
to  the  shore  to  ?et  th»  ^  V  ^'  ^  "''*'™  '''^'"'■ns 

take  th.  game  home  H^ ^'  u"'  ■'['^'^^  "'*  "'>-''  '» 
Pu..  the  se\,  a,ot:;ert7li::t  ^ th"'"r  "^' 
to  e,o,  .e  first  siea,e.ri.e  ot  the  sea^r.^l^:: 

He  is  soon  with  his  Hno-c      tu 
ening   barks   as   he  r,      ^\       ^^  S'"""^''"  "''*  deaf- 

S    "drKs   as   he   approaches    the   sho-e       Ti, 
quickly  loosened  and  evervth;„  ,  ^^"^   ^"^ 

trip.  With  a  pracdseH  r^^i^  "  ""^^  ''^^^y  '"  ^he 
w4  handle  r::ra  las  7T^""^^  ''^-"- 
length  is  attached,  and  the  trnttt:,?;:!:"  ^  '" 
over  the  rough  stones.     When  the  dear  1  '1  "^^ 

strikes  into  a  full  gallon     M  "  '''^•'"^'^ed  it 

gallop.    No  rems  are  used  in  guiding 


SLEDGE   FROM   SMITH   SOUND 

t'rol  "wh*''T,-     ?.''^  ''^  "'^■■P  '^  "^^ded  for  their  con- 
on  the  othe'rtide  th      2'  o  th"e  ^^     ,7'^  "'^'  ''^^ 

^ot  but  he  ,s  usually  careful  not  to  be  too  severe 

i  he  seal  ,s  .soon  reached  and  placed  upon  the  sled..e 
On  the  way  home  the  hunter  may  make  a'detour  to  sorne 


■M' 


■i 

"1 

''  }\ll 


Ml 


'i  ■ 


.  1 


.1 


I 

,;,. 

r», 

i 

ii 


374  AC/eOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

tongue  of  land  where  he  has  a  fox-trap  which  he  wishes 
to  examine  and  see  if  it  is  in  order  for  the  coming  winter 
These  traps  are  made  of  flat  stones  of  about  uniform  size* 
and  placed  in  a  rectangular  position.  A  large  flat  stone' 
IS  so  arranged  that  when  a  fox  pulls  at  a  piece  of  blubber 
that  IS  placed  at  the  farther  side  of  the  inclosure  it  falls 


ESKIMO    FOX-I'RAP 


and  completely  closes  the  opening  by  which  he  entered. 
How  many  foxes  are  caught  in  this  way  I  cannot  tell,  but 
.t  must  be  a  large  number.  It  requires  about  eight  skins 
to  make  a  coat  for  a  man,  and  the  garments  are  not  very 
durable.  ^ 

Formerly  the  Eskimos  made  traps  in  this  form,  but 
considerably  larger,  for  bears.  In  ,894  I  saw  the  ruins  of 
an  .mmense  trap  of  this  description  on  the  now  uninhab- 
ited Ellc^mere  Land.  But  at  present  such  means  are  not 
emplojed.  A  considerable  ntuBber  of  bears  are  killed  in 
these  regions  every  year,  but  the  work  is  done  in  a  braver 
manner  than  by  catching  them  in  'raps. 

The  finest   place  for   bear-hunting  is   south    of  Cape 
York,  on  the  ice-bound  Melville  Bay.     Out  on  these  vast 


HUNTING 


375 


fields  of  ,ce,  far  from  home,  the  Eskimo  has  fought  many 
a  hard  battle  with  the  large  and  powerful  Arctic  bear  ^ 
To  conduct  such  a  battle  successfully  both  courage  and 
presence  of  mind  are  required.  Consequently  some  of 
he  nahves  are  much  better  adapted  for  this  work  than 
are  others  At  the  present  time  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent  hunters  m  this  section  is  a  man  named  Akpallia 
When  we  saw  him  in  ,89,  he  called  himself  Nordinder' 
but  two  years  later  we  found  that,  without  applying  to 


HEAR    ATTACKING   SKAl. 


the  courts  for  permission,  he  had  changed  his  name.  I 
could  not  obtain  from  him  any  definite  informati,,,,  re- 
gardmg  the  rea,son  for  this  proceeding.  Possibly  he  had 
been  bothered  with  letters  intende.l  for  another  person 


If 


>  ^1 

SI 


I    }) 


"mmm 


ri: 


ri;. 


jT      I 


ft,* 


if! 


V'4 

ILL    i. 


H'l 


376  ^CJ/OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

of  the  same  name.      Well,  however  the  matter  may  be 

expiamed,  the  man  is  an  experienced  bear-hunter      He  is 

shed  a  h,s  hand.  Soon  after  his  return  from  a  huntL 
trip  I  obtamed  shelter  for  the  night  in  his  hut.  It  was 
rumored  that  for  once  the  bears  had  the  best  of  the  fi<.ht 
and  that  they  had  torn  one  of  his  arms  and  also  ki^ed' 
two  of  h.s  dogs.  After  making  many  inquiries  I  suc- 
ceeded m  obtaining  from  him  an  account  of  his  latest 
trip  This,  m  substance,  I  will  repeat,  as  it  will  give  the 
reader  a  pretty  good  impression  as  to  the  general  method 
in  which  bear-hunting  is  conducted. 

During  the  month  of  March  Akpallia  suddenly  felt  an 
ardent  desire    to    revisit    Melville  Bay,  his  old  hunting, 
ground.     He   promptly  repaired  his  sledge,  patched  L 
bird-skin  shirt  (he  was  a  widower  and  therefore  had  to  do 
this  work  himself),  and  gave  his  dogs  a  good  meal.     This 
done   he   took  a  long   sleep,  and  in  the  morning,  after 
leaving  his  children,  a  boy  and  two  girls,  in  the  care  of  a 
neighbor,  he  started  on  his  e.xpedition.     Four  days  later 
he  arnved  at  Cape  York,  one    hundred  and   twenty-five 
rniles  distant  from  his  home.     Here  the  bear-hunters  have 
their   headquarters.     There   are   usually  several   families 
located  at   this   point,  and  most  of   the  men  are  expert 
nunters.  ^ 

Akpallia  remained  for  a  couple  of  days  among  the 
flesh-pots  of  the  Cape  York  colony.  Two  of  the  local 
huntei-s  agreed  to  accompany  him  on  his  intended  trip 
One  o  these  was  only  a  half-grown  lad,  but  he  was  taken' 
along  because  he  was  the  owner  of  a  genuine  gun  This 
he  had  obtained  from  the  crew  of  an  English  whaling 
ship  m  exchange  for  a  large  quantity  of  ivory,  and  he  wat 


'  may  be 
He  is 
has  per- 
hunting- 
It  was 
:he  fight, 
so  killed 
s  I  suc- 
is  latest 
give  the 
method 

'  felt  an 
mnting- 
hed  his 
d  to  do 
.     This 
g,  after 
ire  of  a 
/s  later 
ity-five 
rs  have 
amilies 
expert 

ig  the 
i  local 
d  trip. 

taken 

This 
baling 
le  was 


much  elated  at  securing  what  he  considered  a  great  bar- 
gam      Though  at  this  time  he  had  only  powdef  enoul 
or  two  loa  s,  and  had  no  lead  for  balls;  but  was  obliL 
o  use  small  stones  in  their  stead,  and  though  by  an  un 
fortunate  explosion  the  length  of  the  barrel  had  been  re" 
duced  to  about  twenty  inches,  the  gun  was  still  regard  d 
as  rather  a  formidable  weapon,  and  its  young  owne    was 
as  highly  regarded    by  his  comrades  as  though   he  had 
killed  a  dozen  bears.  '  " 

At  length   the  three  hunters  left  Cape  York      Tl 
had  three  sledges  and  fifteen  dogs.     For  tw^  days  Ue^ 
search  was  in  vain,  but  on  the  morning  of  the  thZT 
they  found  the  fresh  tracks  of  bears.  ^^^ 

One  who  has  never  seen  the  Eskimo  under  similar  cir 
cumstanees  can  form  no  adequate  idea  of  the  i^  se  ex 
c  tement  n,to  which  he  is  thrown  by  such  an  event  The 
dog  .too  show  a  wonderful  degree  of  interest,  holding 
"P  the.r  heads,  erecting  their  ears,  and  eagerly  gaz  ,  g 
over  the  great  white  field  of  ice.     Their  matters  tt^n 

stop  and  look  around  agan,,  until  the  observer  begins  to 
senously  question   whether  people  who  act  in  »       an 

the  tracks  of  o  bear  can  be  skilful  hunters.     But  further 
Ob  ervafons  wdl  convince  him  that,  notwithstanding  sth 
ch,W  sh  actions  at  certain  times,  they  show  the  most  w^n- 
derfu,  presence  of  mind  when  in  dangerous  situations 
The  tracks  discovered  by  our  friends  were  those  of  a 
male  bear  and  her  fvo  cubs.     For  a  time  the  Innters 
all  followed  the  same  tracks ;  but  when,  after  pror    Ig 
f  rsome  distance,  they  came  to  the  fresh  track  of  aZ 
gle  bear,  leading  m  an  entirely  different  direction,  they 


■f  I 


|:0 


r^ ' 


378 


ACHOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


R»«   5. 


\i 


II 


parted,  Akpallia  choosing  to  follow  the  track  last  discov- 
ered and  to  attempt  to  kill  the  bear  without  the  aid  of  his 
companions. 

At  length  he  caught  sight  of  the  bear  of  which  he  was 
in  pursuit.     It  was  lying  at  the  foot  of  an  iceberg,  quietly 
sunning  itself,  but  so  far  away  that  it  appeared  like  an 
almost  shapeless  mass.     The  excitement  of  the  hunter  is 
now  intense.     In  a  hoarse  and  muffled  voice  he  exclaims 
to  his  dogs,  "  Takkotakko  !    takkotakko !  "  (look  !   look !). 
The   dogs  at  once  turn    their  heads    inquiringly  toward 
their  master  as  if  to  ask  if  he  has  really  discovered  some- 
thing.    They  can  only  see  the    monotonous    snow-drifts 
and  the  fields  of  ice,  which  stretch  in  every  direction  be- 
yond   the    utmost  limit   of    their   vision.     Then  he   con- 
tinues:    "Nannuk!    nannuk !    nannuksua!  "  (a    bear!   a 
bear!    a  large    bear!).     Hardly  are    these  words    uttered 
when  the  dogs  become  so  excited  that  he  cannot  restrain 
them.      They   leave    the   long   circuitous   course   of   the 
track   and    rush    instinctively,   and  in  the  wildest  haste, 
in  the  right  direction. 

When  they  are  only  about  a  half  mile  distant  from  the 

bear,  he  rises  and  for  a  moment  stands  erect,  with  head 

and  neck  stretched  out  toward  the  approaching  team.     In 

this  position  he  becomes  visible  to  the  dogs,  who  now  pull 

the  sledge  over  the  ice  with  increasing  fury.     The  bear 

appears  to  know  by  intuition  the  bloodthirsty  character  of 

the  Eskimo  and  his  swift-footed  dogs,  and  with  all  possible 

speed  he  flees  from  the  dangerous  place.     Akpallia  jumps 

from  the  sledge  to  make  it  lighter  for  the  dogs,  and,  hold- 

mg  with  his   hands  one  of  the  guiding  arms  behind,  his 

legs  dance  wildly  under  him  as    he  follows  the  fren/.ied 

animals. 


t 


^kl 


>t  discov- 
lid  of  his 

h  he  was 
5,  quietly 
I  like  an 
hunter  is 
exclaims 
!  look!). 
J  toward 
ed  some- 
ow-d  rifts 
ction  be- 
he  con- 
bear!  a 

uttered 
rest'-ain 

of    the 
it   haste, 

rom  the 
ith  head 
am.  Tn 
low  pull 
he  bear 
•acter  of 
possible 
a  jumps 
d,  hold- 
lind,  his 
frenx;ied 


\ 


HUNTING 

379 

dojs''  The  71  '"','"'  ''  •^"'"°'  S°  ^  -P'dly  -  the 

shorter  B.tAT'n^'^"  '''="'  '^'==°"'-  ^--Pfbly 
Shorter.  But  Akpalha  has  to  jump  on  the  sledge  Lain 
in    order  to  sare  his   strength    f„/fi,  •       "      * 

He  is  a  rather  larce  m  !,        /?    the  comu,g  struggle. 

retard,  tl,?  aJ  ,  '  ""'^  '"'  '^"^'g''*  considerably 
retards  the  speed  of  the  dogs,  but  he  knows  that  be->rl 

canr.t  run  a  long  distance  and  that  the  hunted  animi 
W.1I  soon  be  obliged  to  slacken  his  pace 

offh'eS'  Th   '"aT  ^^'I"■"  ^'°"'  ^-^^  '-"'•-'^  feet 
ot  the  bear.     Then  AkpaUia  bends  over  and  cuts  the  rooe 

that  keeps  the  dogs  toe^ther     Ti,„   1  j  ^ 

and  the  loosened^dolf  "1  •  J'he      ^'  -^tops   nstantly 
r  u^   •  ^  °^  *"^  enemy  with  almn^f- 

^^ZxZt    ^^,T   ^^   *^   ^-^  perceives  r 
Meanw^nle    Akpalha   has   seized    his   spear  from    the 
s  edge  and  .s  hasting  to  the  battle-field.     This  hardy  1 
of  the  ,cy  desert  knows  nothing  of  fear.     His  two  com- 
pan.ons    long  ago  disappeared  in  the  distance.      Sinl- 
-nded  he  ,s  to  fight  a  ferocious  beast  of  prey -a  beast 
th  t   w,th   one  blow  of  its  paw  can  easily' take  his  H 
-..gence    coolness,  strength,  courage,  endurance,  ad 
ty  wll  all  be  required  to  give  him  a  fair  probability 
the  conflict  will  end  to  his  advantage  ^ 

'^s   soon  as   Akpallia    reaches  his  prey  he  ..rasps  his 
pear  w,th  both  ha.,ds,  and  with  all  his  strength  eXo  3 

suddenly   and    unexpectedly,  deflects    the   course   of   the 
spear,  and  ,ts  point  strikes  his  broad  shoulder-blade.     In 

dots    1  e  "      r:""'-     "^"^""^    *8"°""g    *e    barking 

S;,  ia  t  r       f  ""'"'''■  '""^  '"  '^g^  "P°"  the  hunter 
Akpalha  takes  a  few  steps  in  the  snow  in  order  to  reach 


.^ 


i*-   , 


i  i» 


,1  ttSii 


111- 


380 


^CVOi"^'  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


his  knife,  which  he  threw  clown  when  jjreparing  to  make 
an  attack  with  the  spear,  but  his  foot  slips,  he  falls,  and 
the  next  instant  a  forepaw  of  the  bear  is  resting  heavily 
upon  the  upper  part  of  his  left  arm.  With  almost  super- 
human efforts  he  tries  to  get  free,  he  screams  in  the  face 
of  the  mighty  brute  in  hope  of  scaring  it  away,  he  strikes 
against  its  breast  with  his  fist.  All  in  vain  !  The  claws 
of  the  bear  have  penetrated  deeply  into  his  flesh,  and  he 
cannot  loosen  their  hold. 

It  is  only  because  the  bear  has  other  foes  that  are  dis- 
tracting his  attention  tha*-  he  does  not  do  the  hunter 
more  harm.  No  sooner  do  he  dogs  see  the  predicament 
in  which  their  master  is  placed  than  they  make  a  f^ro- 
cious  but  foolhardy  attack  upon  his  foe.  The  two  oldest, 
a  pair  of  handsome  animals  resembling  wolves  in  appear- 
ance, that  have  been  v/ith  their  master  in  many  a  hard- 
fought  battle,  attack  the  bear  in  front,  one  of  them  even 
biting  the  paw  that  holds  the  arm  of  his  master  in  the 
snow.  But  the  bear  does  not  loosen  its  grip.  With  a 
quick  blow  of  the  other  paw  it  puts  one  of  the  dogs  out  of 
the  fight.  The  situation,  which  was  dangerous  before, 
has  now  become  desperate.  But  it  soon  grows  worse. 
Another  bear  appears  from  behind  an  iceberg  near  by,  a 
second  dog  has  fallen  bleeding  upon  the  snow,  and 
Akpallia  appears  to  be  beyond  all  hope  of  deliverance. 

At  this  critical  moment  two  sledges  appear.  They  are 
coming  at  full  speed  around  the  iceberg,  which  had  long 
kept  the  bear  last  noted  from  view.  With  these  sledges 
are  the  comrades  of  the  prostrate  hunter.  Seeing  his 
condition,  they  give  terrific  yells,  which  he  answers  with 
loud  calls  for  help. 

The  bear  now  leaves  his  victim,  joins  the  other  beast, 


Knile  with  Ivory  Blade  and  Wooden  Handle 


Ivory  Pin,  two  thirds  natural  : 


Bows 


•^S 


Spear  or  Lance 


Arrow-Head,  one  fnu.th  act..al  size 
DIFFERENT    WEAPONS   AND    INJPI.KMKNTS 


m 

m 

'11 

! 

1 

!> 

4™ 

1 

>  ?  i 

*,   1 

'\ 

1       1 

i 

i 


BH 


382 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


II  |f|  ^     i 


and  AkpalHa  is  saved.  The  dogs  from  the  newly  arrived 
sledges  are  set  at  liberty,  and  intercept  the  bears  in  their 
flight.  After  a  short  but  sharp  fight,  in  which  the  dilapi- 
dated gun  plays  an  important  part,  the  huge  beasts  are 
slain.  Then  Akpallia's  wounds,  which  fortunately  have 
not  caused  much  loss  of  blood,  are  bandaged  with  long 
strips  of  dirty  and  greasy  seal-skin,  the  bears  are  skinned, 
and  as  much  of  the  meat  as  can  be  carried  is  loaded  upon 
the  sledges. 

One  of  the  wounded  dogs  had  died  upon  the  spot. 
The  other  was  still  alive,  and  was  taken  home  on  a  sledge. 
In  due  time  the  hunters  reached  the  colony  at  Cape  York, 
where  their  adventure,  with  all  of  its  details,  was  de- 
scribed to  an  interested  and  appreciative  audience. 

Similar  things  often  occur  in  Eskimo  bear-hunts.  The 
life  of  the  hunter  is  like  a  game  in  which  no  one  can 
refuse  to  take  part.  The  stakes  are  high,  even  life  itself; 
clothes  and  food  suflRcient  to  last  for  only  a  short  time  are 
the  prizes  to  be  gained. 

The  manner  in  which  the  natives  hunt  the  walrus  in 
these  regions  also  seems  to  be  worthy  of  description. 

Very  early  in  the  spring  the  families  leave  their  winter 
huts  along  the  coast  near  Ingleficld  Gulf  to  go  north 
almost  to  Cape  Alexander,  where  they  temporarily  live  in 
snow  huts. 

Early  on  some  morning  when  the  weather  is  clear  and 
favorable,  the  men  set  out  for  a  walrus  hunt.  There  are, 
perhaps,  a  dozen  sledges.  Each  is  drawn  by  five  or  six 
dogs  and  carrier  two  hunters.  As  a  rule  it  requires  a 
drive  of  two  hours  to  reach  a  good  hunting-place,  which 
must  be  near  the  open  sea.  Sledges  arc  left  quite  a  dis- 
tance  back  of  the  thin  ice,  where  the  hunt  takes  place. 


HUNTING 


Sli'l 


he  affa,r.     The  hunters  walk  about  a  half  mile,  or  farther 
necessary,  to  ,ce  which  moves  with  e^ery  step  the^ 

'erous  Ih'  "°".     "  '°  ""  ^"^*  ^"^  '°  -°'d  d- 
gerous  places,  and   are  obliged    to  continually  test   the 

strength  of  the  ice  with  their  spears.      These  implement 

^ua  ly  have  a  pointed  piece  of  narwhal  tooth  tied  to  on 

nd  to  prevent  the.r  slipping  „„  the  smooth  surface  of  the 

■ce,  but  a  tew  are  fitted  with  pieces  of  iron  which  the  r 

r:::,:^ -f  ">'  ^•'"-  f-™  ---te  men,  by  whom    h 
a.e  v,s,ted  only  at  long  intervals.      This  spear  is  aboul 
five  feet  m  length.     It  is  illustrated  in  the  collection  o 
weapons   and    implen.cnts,  a  drawing  of   which   wiH    be 
found  on  a  preceding  page. 

It  is  on  the  thin  wavy  ice  cover  just  described  that  the 
IH."     begms.     Soon    there   seems    to  be   a  sinking  J,^ 

pieces,   and    up    through    the   opening    thus   former'    a 
bearde.     walrus   cuietly   and    majesticjiy   lifts    its    arge 
ead  and  grmnmg  face.     You  hear  its  deep  breathing 
at  u,  the  twilight  of  the  forenoon  seen,s  to  resemb  e  a' 
low  snonng,  and  you  see  its  breath  like  a  cloud  of  va^; 
wh,ch  n,  the  very  low  temperature  that  prevails  looks  as 
wh,e  and  shining  as  the  steam   from  the  valve^  of  an 

q".c.ly  <1  sappears  m  the  deep.  The  cold  waves'  close 
over  the  dark  head,  but  even  while  it  is  descend  ,g  ^^ 
hear  similar  sounds  from  other  places  *"  ^ 

It  .usually  while  the  walrus  is  engaged  in  breaking 
the  thn,  ,ce  ,„  order  to  form  a  breathing-hole  that  the 
Ksk  mo  rushes  to  the  attack,  though  sometin..s,  in  spite  :f 
t  K  cokl,  one  IS  found  that  has  crept  up  on  the  ice  where 
It  was  strong  cTinugh  to  bear  its  wci-lit 


II 


I     !<,,  * 


5       .  ^1, 


hit  '' 


384 


ACJiOSS  NOR'rHERN  GREENLAND 


As  a  rule  the  native  uses  only  the  spear  when  he 
attacks  a  walrus.  This  spear  is  made  in  such  a  way  that 
it  can  be  used  as  a  harpoon  if  desired,  and  thus  saves 
the  trouble  of  carrying  two  kinds  of  instruments.  As 
the  skin  of  the  walrus  is  exceedingly  thick  and  tough,  the 
hunter  thrusts  the  spear  into  its  body  with  his  right 
hand  instead  of  throwing  it,  and  in  his  left  hand  holds  a 
coiled  line  that  is  firmly  fastened  to  it.  The  spear  is 
made  in  a  form  that  admits  of  its  being  pulled  from  the 
animal,  while  the  harpoon  could  not  be  drawn  out. 

As  soon  as  the  walrus  is  struck  it  disappears  in  the 
water,  and  the  hunter  must  be  alert  and  active  to  prevent 
his  carrying  away  the  spear  and  line.  He  cannot  rely 
upon  his  mere  physical  strength  in  such  a  contest.  With 
a  strong  blow  he  plants  the  pike  of  the  spear  in  the  ice, 
and  winds  the  line  around  it  twice.  If  the  pike  gives 
way  or  the  ice  breaks  where  it  is  driven  in,  the  game  will 
be  lost,  and  with  it  also  the  spear-head  and  line.  It  some- 
times occurs  that  the  feet  or  legs  of  the  hunter  become 
entangled  in  the  line,  and  he  is  drawn  into  the  water. 
Two  hunters  from  this  small  tribe  have  recently  perished 
in  this  way. 

But  suppose  the  ice  and  spear  hold,  and  all  goes  well. 
In  this  case  the  hunter  feels  greatly  relieved  when  the 
line  slackens.  Soon  the  animal  again  comes  to  the  sur- 
face. With  his  knife  the  hunter  quickly  makes  two  holes 
in  the  ice,  draws  the  line  down  one  of  the  holes  and  up 
through  the  other.  Now  the  spear  is  free,  and  every  time 
the  animal  comes  to  the  surface  it  receives  a  sharp  thrust. 
This  is  continued  until  the  walrus  dies  from  wounds  and 
exhaustion. 

In  summer  the  North  Greenland  walrus  arc  often  seen 


when   he 

way  that 
hus  saves 
snts.  As 
ough,  the 
his  right 
d  holds  a 

spear  is 
from  the 
-It. 

rs  in  the 
T  prevent 
inot  rely 
t.  With 
1  the  ice, 
ike  gives 
>anie  will 

It  some- 
■  become 
»e  water, 
perished 

pes  well, 
hen  the 
the  sur- 

^vo  holes 
and  up 

ery  time 

)  thrust. 

nds  and 

ten  seen 


as 


.    .ill  biff. 


|ff»U'?i 


'"."I  IIIIIUL... 


386 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


\  > 

}}"    ' 

u 

f, 

1' 

r: 

V 

f:r 


il 


n  f 


•I  ^ni 


hm 


in  companies  of  considerable  size.     Then  it  is  not  safe  to 
disturb  them.     To  attack  them  in  an  open  boat  involves 
considerable  danger,  and  to  interfere  with  them  in  a  kaiak 
would  be  equivalent  to  suicide.     Of  these  facts  we  had  a 
practical   illustration   in   August,    1891,  when    Dr.   Cook, 
(iibson,  Verhoeft,  and  myself  were  taking  a  boat  trip  over 
Whale  Sound.     We  saw  several  herds  of  walrus  sunning 
themselves  on  floating  ice.      Upon  making  an  attack  wt> 
were,  to  our  great   surprise,  immediately  surrounded   by 
something  like  a  hundred  of  these  monsters,  which  evi- 
dently were  bent  upon  our  destruction.     Fortunately  we 
were  all  well  armed  with  rapid-firing  magazine  rifles,  and 
Kkva,  an  Eskimo  who  was  with  us,  had  a  harjjoon  and  a 
spear.     But  notwithstanding  our  excellent  equipment  for 
the   battle,  it  was  with   great  difficulty   that  we   escaped 
from  the  enraged  animals.     It  was  a  long  and  hard  fight, 
some  of  the  time  at  such  close  quarters  that  we  used  our 
oars  and  boat-hooks  to  drive  off  those  of   the  herd  that 
were  so  close  as  to  threaten  the  instant  destruction  of  our 
craft.     How  many  of  the  animals  we  had  killed  during 
the  fight  we  could  not  tell,  as  most  of  the  dead  ones  were 
drawn  under  the  water  by  their  comrades,  who  used  their 
long    tusks  for  this    purpose.     With   the    harpoon    lines 
which    the   native    had   brought   we   secured   two   bodies. 
During  such  a  fight  the  aim  of  ihe  walrus  is  to  get  his 
tusks  over  the  edge  of  the  boat,  by  which  means  it  woukl 
easily  be  capsized.     If  he  is  successful  there  is  little  hojje 
for  the  occupants  unless  there  is  another  boat  close  by. 
In   cailier    times   many    Norwegian    walrus    hunters    lost 
their  lives  in  this  manner  at  Si)it/.bergen. 

In   addition   to  the  method  of  hunting  for  seals  which 
has  already  been  described,  which  takes  place  on  the  new 


lot  safe  to 
t  involves 
in  a  kaiak 

we  had  a 
3r.  Cook, 
:  trip  over 
>  sunn  in  t; 
ittack  we 
Lmded  by 
/hich  evi- 
nately  we 
rities,  and 
on  and  a 
)ment  for 
escaped 
ard  fi<>:ht, 

used  our 
lierd  that 
:)n  of  our 
d  durinix 
•nes  were 
sed  their 
ton  lines 
)  bodies. 
)  get  Ills 

it  wouki 
ttle  hope 
dosii  b)-. 
ters    k)st 

Is  which 
the  new 


"^*te- 


388 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


ni. 


t: 


«-• 


ice  in  autumn  and  early  winter,  and  which  is  called  "  mau- 
pok,"  or  waiting  hunt,  there  is  another  method  of  securino- 
these  animals  that  is  of  sutficient  importance  to  justify  its 
description.  This  plan  is  followed  in  spring  and  summer, 
when  the  seals  spend  much  of  the  time  lying  upon  the 
surface  of  the  sunlit  ice.  In  April  the  ice,  which  com- 
menced to  form  six  months  before,  has  reached  a  thick- 
ness of  about  five  feet.  It  is  therefore  only  by  great 
perseverance  and  the  gradual  enlargempnt  of  its  breath- 
ing-holes, that  the  small  fjord  seal  can  make  its  w^ay 
through  the  thick  ice  in  the  spring. 

For  this  kind  of  a  hunt  the  Eskimo  likes  to  start  early 
in  the  morning,  so  that  he  may  have  plenty  of  time  for 
the  work  that  is  before  him.  To  be  sure,  the  sun  at 
the  end  of  April  is  up  day  and  night,  and  at  any  hour 
in  the  twenty-four  you  may  see  seals  upon  the  ice.  But  in 
the  daytime  the  sun'  .line  is  stronger,  the  air  is  warmer, 
and  the  seals  are  more  sleepy,  and  consequently  are  more 
easily  captured  than  they  are  at  night. 

The  native  has  not  been  long  upon  the  ice,  before  with 
his  keen  vision,  he  detects  some,  dark  spots  far  away  on 
the  white  expanse.  He  chooses  one  of  these,  and  soon 
his  swift  dogs  bring  him  to  within  a  half  mile  of  his  game. 
Here  he  halts  lest  the  dogs  should  frighten  the  seals,  caus- 
ing them  to  jDlunge  into  the  water  and  escape.  After 
leaving  his  team  the  hunter  takes  his  harpoon  and  goes 
on  foot  toward  his  game. 

As  he  ap])roaches  the  seals  he  bends  over  more  and 
more  until  at  last  he  gets  down  upon  the  snow  and  creejis 
on  his  hands  and  knees.  He  wishes  to  have  the  seal 
believe  it  is  not  an  enemy,  but  one  of  his  own  kind  that  is 
approaching.     If  one  of  the  animals  looks  up  the  hunter 


f  I 


ed  "  mau- 
secLirins: 
justify  its 
summer, 
-ipon  the 
ich  com- 
I  a  thick- 
by  great 
s  breath- 
its  way 

:art  early 
time  for 
3  sun  at 
.ny  hour 
But  in 
warmer, 
ire  more 

ore  with 
away  on 
nd  soon 
is  game, 
als,  caus- 
.  After 
nd  goes 

ore  and 
:l  creejjs 
the  seal 
:l  that  is 
i  hunter 


-ting  co^fortab  ;  TlT:Z\vT  ''''  '''  ^-" 


SHOoriNG    SKAI.S 

paws.     Now  Tncl   t  en  n  n"'  ^""^  '^'''-  *»«  <oro- 

'0  them  as  pos^  !„d  7  '""'  ^'™'"  '°  S^''  -  ^l°- 
flies  through 'ti,e.i  o„  /.""'  '"°""''^'  •"'«  ''-P^o" 
">  "'0  back.     T    ;•  ,^"r'  "'^  =""■'->'»  '^-  been  .se'n.ck 

>^0"ncled  one  is  lln  L   '"''''"'"'  '"  ""^  ""^^'■'  "^"^  '''e 

^oon  drawn   up  on   the  ice  and  Ulled 


i.lj 
i'i'.'i 


•>] 


'    J1 


r!     i 


390 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


m 


The  hunter  now  calls  his  dogs,  and  they  come  to  him  at 
their  highest  speed.  The  method  of  killing  seals  with 
firearms  hardly  needs  to  be  described. 

Of  the  larger  animals  of  the  sea  that  are  hunted  by  the 
Eskimos  only  the  narwhal  remains  to  be  mentioned.  The 
hunt  is  now  pursued  in  kaiaks,  but  until  about  1S70  the 
natives  had  nothing  of  this  description,  and  the  hunt- 
ing was  done  on  floating  ice.  The  Eskimos  of  North 
Greenland,  having  used  them  for  so  short  a  time,  do  not 
make  as  fine  kaiaks  as  their  South  Greenland  brethren,  or 
manage  them  with  anything  ike  the  same  degree  of  skill. 
In  fact,  the  kaiaks  in  use  at  Smith  Sound  at  the  time  of 
our  visit  were  both  clumsy  and  dangerous. 

The  hunters  of  narwhal  keep  their  kaiaks  near  together, 
and  as  soon  as  one  of  the  party  has  harpooned  an  animal 
the  remainder  hasten  to  his  assistance.  When  the  ani- 
mal has  been  killed  they  all  join  in  towing  it  home.  The 
irame  is  then  divided  according  to  certain  established 
rules.  The  one  who  first  attacks  and  wounds  an  animal, 
be  it  narwhal,  bear,  seal,  walrus,  or  reindeer,  is  always 
regarded  as  its  real  slayer,  and  therefore  receives  the  lion's 
share  of  the  resulting  honors  and  profits. 

The  meat  of  the  narwhal  is  quite  tough,  but  the  natives 
consider  it  both  nourishing  and  pal.itable.  In  summer  it 
can  be  obtained  in  large  quantities.  The  sinews  along 
the  back  are  dried  and  used  for  thread.  They  are  much 
stroncrer  than  are  those  which  arc  obtained  from  the  rein- 
deer  and  which  also  serve  the  same  purpose. 

Amoni;:  the  land  animals  which  the  natives  of  this 
region  engage  in  hunting,  the  reindeer  is  by  far  the  most 
important.  In  former  years  the  hunt  in  this  region  did 
not  amount  to  much.     The  reindeer  were  numerous  ;  but 


III 


I  ..Li 


HUNTING   : 

39' 
as  the  bow  and  arrow  formed  the  nr.Ur 

this  purpose,  it  was   diffic't  to  li     1^°;""'  '" 
hunted,  especially  in  sorin,,  .   °i  "^  '"'''"' 

sport  and  with  verj  itferetH  t  T""'?  """""^"^  ^°^ 
and  skins.      But   vvhe„   7u  ™'"'  °'  *^'^  ^^'^ 

iJut   when    the    natives    obtained    rifles,   as 


•<*,    #\  fe   \'^* 


RF.INMKER 


we  first  V  sited  fl-.^  i^     iv       ,  ^'  ^'^9^  when 

how  and  arrow  a  IS  f,,:,:  rT  ■'"'  "''"'  '"^ 
our  departure  in  TC  T  '^  ^"'  ''untnig;  but  before 

-.xd^ise:;i.;:::L"itt;22:;;::^^r7'-^"^-"- 

fvely  near  future  they  will    be^  found  n  T"'"''"'"" 

cases  of  ethnographieafcoll  cfonr  T,  V"  '  ^'''^ 
ti-  nearly  all  t^e  reindee!  "be  dis t^v^  7 '"L' 
natural  hunters  as  the  Eskimos  the'      ^r  'an?::;:: 


;':ff 


♦■in 

.'I 


LtUUIiJ 


f.i  ^  '^'  i\ 


r  fl 


Hi<  I  »t 


i  t 


fil^f 


392 


ACROSS  NORTHERN-  GREENLAND 


[.'J    t 


ment  of  the  chase  are  too  great  to  be  restrained  by  any 
considerations  of  future  good.  As  long  as  there  are 
reindeer  to  be  had,  the  natives  will  kill  them  without  any 
regard  to  their  requirements  for  food  or  clothing.  These 
people  are  children  of  tl  c  present,  who  later  on  will  have 
to  pay  dearly  for  the  use  they  are  making  of  some  of  the 
destructive  powers  which  they  have  obtained  from  their 
civilized  visitors. 

How  the  reindeer  is  killed  with  firearms  need  not  be 
explained,  but  it  may  be  of  interest  to  note  that  a  skilful 
and  patient  hunter  can  approach  near  enough  to  shoot  it 
with  a  bow  and  arrow  or  even  to  kill  it  by  throwing  a 
stone. 

Hares  were  formerly  caught  in  large  numbers  in  North 
Greenland  by  snaring,  but  now  they  are  shot  with  rifles. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  the  ptarmigan  has  never  been 
hunted  by  the  people  of  this  tribe.  As  its  meat  is  excel- 
lent food,  the  immunity  which  it  enjoys  is  probably  due  to 
some  ancient  superstition. 

Of  the  sea-birds,  the  auk  is  the  only  one  that  plnys  an 
important  part  in  the  domestic  economy  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  this  region.  They  are  caught  with  a  net  which  is 
attached  to  a  long  pole. 

This  hunt  is  largely  engaged  in  by  families  who  have 
pitched  their  tents  near  the  mountains  where  the  birds 
make  their  nests.  As  these  are  always  along  the  steepest 
and  most  inaccessible  parts  of  the  coast,  the  occupation  is 
both  difficult  and  dangerous,  and  serious  accidents  some- 
times occur. 

A  few  years  ago  a  man  of  middle  age,  and  the  father  of 
a  family,  lost  his  life  while  catching  auks  at  the  south- 
western point   of   Saunders  Island,  called    Akpan   (Auk 


by  any 
lere  are 
lout  any 
These 
ill  have 
e  of  the 
m  their 

not  be 
I  skilful 
shoot  it 


Dwing  a 


1  North 
rifles, 
er  been 
is  excel- 
/  due  to 

)lnys  an 
inhabit- 
kvhich  is 

ho  have 
le  birds 
steepest 
)ation  is 
:s  some- 

ather  of 
;  south - 
1   (Auk 


A 


HUNTING 

393 

ber  of  auks  wh.ch  are   found    there.     In  company  w,th 

ull  length  of  the  ,sla„cl.     When  l,e  had  reached  a  point 

belon,  he  had  An„,gana  lower  him  down  the  perpendic- 
ular wal  of  the  cliff,  in  order  that  he  might  react  le 
narrow  iedge  upon  which  the  birds  n.ake  tifeir  nests  n 
th'^  "ork  the  auk  hunters  use  tl^e  sanre  lines  and  straps 


CATCHING    AUKS   WITH    A    NET 

sHinZ  7  '■"  7''-,'"'"''-"S.      And,  what  i.Jicates  a 

ho«  dangerous  the  precipice,  to  trust  their  whole  wei<rht 

o     ,s,ngle  person  on  top  of  ,.     n,ountain.     On  this  oca! 

s.on  Anmgana  had  only  just  commenced  to  lower  his  com- 


,;1 


■Jt 


! 


ii' 

,  .L 

''Ifli 

•11' ' 

1 

r   j 

M 


n 


fi 


r'u 


r<  t 


«i  « 


394 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


rade  when  his  strength  gave  out,  he  let  go  of  the  line,  and 
the  unfortunate  hunter  was  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks 
at  the  foot  of  the  cHff.  The  place  was  pointed  out  to  nie 
as  I  passed  on  a  sledge.  When  I  looked  up  to  the  great 
mountain  wall  I  could  hardly  believe  that  men  would  run 
such  fearful  risks  in  order  to  secure  a  few  birds  or  eggs. 

Another  time  it  happened  that  an  Eskimo,  while  catch- 
ing auks,  had  one  of  his  legs  crushed  by  a  falling  rock. 
The  poor  fellow  could  not  faint,  —  he  knew  nothino-  of 
any  such  relief,  —  so  he  managed  as  best  he  could  to 
drag  himself  home.  There,  by  advice  of  the  wise  men  and 
women  of  the  tribe,  his  leg  was  amputated.  In  a  short 
time  he  was  perfectly  well ;  and  he,  in  common  with  the 
other  members  of  the  colony,  had  a  great  deal  of  amuse- 
ment in  connection  with  his  stumpy  limb. 

When  we  consider  the  kind  of  instruments  used  by  the 
Eskimos  in  amputating  legs  and  arms,  it  is  difficult  to  see 
how  theiv  work  can  be  successful.  They  have  dirty 
knives,  and  for  bandages  use  strips  of  greasy  seal-skin. 
But  nature  seems  to  give  the  best  of  assistance  on  such 
occasions,  and  with  but  little  help  from  man  heals  wounds 
and  broken  bones  that  with  civilized  people  would  require 
the  most  careful  and  skilful  treatment. 


:  line,  and 
the  rocks 
3ut  to  nie 

the  J2:reat 
^'ould  run 
)r  eggs, 
lile  catch- 
ing rock, 
othing  of 

could   to 

men  and 
1  a  short 

with  the 
)f  amuse- 

'd  by  the 
lit  to  see 
ive  dirty 
seal-skin, 
on  such 
s  wounds 
d  require 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE    NORTH    GREENLAND    DOG 

The  qualities  of  hardiness  and  endurance  which  are  so 
pronounced  in  the  Eskimo  of  North  Greenland  are  even 
more  conspicuous  in  his  faithful  dog.     In  fact,  the  extent 


A    lAVURlTE   Dug 


to  which  this  animal  can  endure  hardship,  exposure,  and 
suttermg  is  alniu.st  inconceivable. 

The  North  Greenland  dogs  are  of  different  colors,  but 
the  ones  mos^  commonly  ...en  are  gray,  spotted  white, 
and  black  haired.  Not  infrequently  there  is  a  round  licrht 
spot   over  each   eye.     Dogs    that   are  entirely  white  are 


1    i  " 

1     •€,] 

\      -  '' 
•1  '  I 


,      i  ij 


. 


1  ^  I 

'^  1 


Ml 


:■'  t 


m 


if.!  Ml?  ■ 


'  ( 


If  Li   I 


I  'i 

nil 


I-  f 


i«i 


i 


I  'tf 


396  AC/^OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

also   found    in    considerable    numbers.      The    latter    can 
hardly  be  distinguished  from  the  white  Arctic  wolf  that  is 
chieriy   found  on  the  islands  north  of    the  continent   of 
America      As  a  rule  the  Eskin.o  dog  carries  his  bushy 
a  1  neatly  curled  up  on  his  back,  but  there  are  some  which 
et  It  hang  down  like  the  wolf.     There  can  hardly  be  a 
doubt  that  the  species  of  dogs  which  the  Eskimo  now  has 
in  subjection  once  lived    in  the  northern  temperate  and 
Arctic  regions  and  was  identical  with  the  present  species 
.     of  wolves.     It  also  appears  certain  that,  while  its  size  has 
diminished  since  it  was  domesticated,  there  has  not  been 
any  admixture  of  foreign  blood. 

The  close  ph)sical  resemblance  to  the  wolf  which  these 
dogs,  after  a    long  period   of   domestication,  continue  to 
bear  is  doubtless  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  subsist  upon 
the  same  kind  of  food  and  have  almost  as  wild  a  life  as 
did    their  ancestors.     They  are  fed  upon  raw  meat    and 
blood,  blubber,  walrus-skin,  and  the  entrails  of  all  kinds  of 
animals  that  their  master  kills.     Water  they  have  only  in 
the  short  summer,  when  they  can  help  themselves  from 
the  streams  which  flow  from  among  the  rocks.    In  winter 
even  after  the  most  fatiguing  work,  they  must  be  content 
to  quench  their  thirst  as  best  they  may  with  the  snow  on 
the  ground. 

The  dogs  are  not  fed  regularly  each  day,  but  on  an 
average  they  get  something  to  eat  -^very  other  day  If 
for  a  time  the  colony  happens  to  have  an  abundance  of 
meat,  the  dogs  are  allowed  to  help  themselves.  liut  at 
other  periods,  especially  in  winter  and  during  long  sled-e 
journey:,,  they  are  sometimes  obliged  to  go  without  food 
for  three  or  four  days.  They  do  not  seem  to  suffer  nearly 
as  much    from   these  irregularities  of  feeding  as  would 


THE  NCRTH  GREENLAND  DOG 

397 

naturally  be  expected.     Apparently  they  are  able  t.      . 

s;ei::e;2irtr' r  'r  ^^^^Z 
.-..pe.t?^-:;:;;t:irrro;::r;-'--'- 

■"  *f  -™'-'  -Icl  or  the  most  violent  stonL  thl  e     " 

them  by  earesses  or  kindly  '■"'"'•"  '"^"''^ 

words.      On   the  contrary. 

a  stranjrer  seeing  him  start 

on  a  sledge  journey  would 

get  the  im|)ression  that  he 

used  the  uhip  uith  /.^r  too 

great  a  degree  of  severity, 


tliough     he     «,„||d     sooii 


'«>';    lrAK\F:SS 


earn  that  the  frec|nent  use  of  the  lash  is  iust  n 
'"  "'anaging  a  team  of  do-^s  as  i    t    '  ,        T  "  ■"'"'''■"■^ 
"l>i|.  in  clri^■ing  horses  "'  "'  ''""''  '•""' 

•^^'^^^  Its  purpose  rcmarkal  ly  well      Vsw.]]'^  fl      T^ 
of  tlie-  (l.,(rs  Ins  n  ifffl    I  ^^'Mially  the  fleetest 

.     M    a  imle  Ic>n,,.er  strap  than  any  c.f  the  others 
*"clti   that  byriinninLr  just  aheatl  of  h.\  - 

may  encoura^re  them  tnJ    .  •  coni,)an,ons  it 

the   team  seem  '^^^'^'^'^ ---t.on.s.     The  leader  of 

""  J'^^Pon.Mbility  ol  his  position. 


lii^l 


>     i  f 


ii ' 


t  i 


398 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


The  Eskimo  dog  is  not  at  all  lacking  in  intelligence. 
This  fact    is  clearly  indicated    by  the  skilful    manner  in 
which  it  perpetrates  its  frequent  thefts.     These  stealings 
are  confined  to  eatables ;  but  as  this  term  includes  their 
own  harness,  their  master's  tent,  trousers,  kamiks  (boots), 
and  shn-ts,  the  straps  on  sledges,  and  many  other  things 
made  of  skin,  they  take  a  pretty  wide  range.     Such  thefts 
would  naturally  be  somewhat  trying  to  the  patience,  but 
the  Eskimos  regard  them  with  comparative  indifference. 
I  have  seen  an  Eskimo  wake  up  and  find  the  hair  of  his 
reindeer  coat  all  over  the  outside  of  his  tent  and  most  of 
the  garment  eaten,  but  his  anger  against  the  dog  that  had 
done  the  mischief   did    not  go  any  farther  than    to  say, 
"  Naav  ajotupilalek    sjo  sjo  —  Sinapadujo  —  takko !  "  or 
something  like,  "  Well,  did  you  ever  see  such  a  miserable 
fool!"     Then  he  would, tie  the  "miserable  fool"  to  the 
stone  from  which   it  had  broken  loose  and  say  no  more 
about  the  affair.     In  contrast  with  this   I  have  seen  two 
men  belonging   to  a  highly  civilized   race  wake  uj)  and 
find  their  fur  gloves  torn  and  half  eaten  on  the  snow  near 
their  hut.     One  chose  a  well-known  method  of  venting 
his  wrath,  and  cursed  until  his  companions  couM  almost 
smell  suljJun-  in   the  air.     The  other,  who  was  too  good 
to   be  profane,  caught   the  dog   that    he   considered    the 
culprit  and  beat    \  until  the  whip-handle  was  broken.     In 
the  treatment  of  animals  the  men  of  enlightened  nations 
would  often    be  j)ut    to   shame  by  comparison    with   the 
kind-hearted  Eskimos. 

I  once  suggested  to  a  native  that  he  should  punish  his 
dogs  for  having  stolen,  from  right  before  her  face,  the 
last  piece  of  blubber  that  his  wife  had  in  the  hut.  I  shall 
never  forget   his  answer.     It  was  to  the  effect    that  the 


If 


..il 


THE  NORTH  GREENLAND  DOG 

^^•Hen  no  o^  oL'tlCi;"  '^^   '''  ''-''- 

co„:,  ,e,l, .  t,!^^-  'T   "^"f  ^  -■•^""-'1  "'  .^.-eces  of 

luic  lengtii.     A  member  of  the  e\ni^r]it;..,. 
discovered    ono  .  f   fK      ^i  •         ,  t-xpedition  once 

-^ave  the  small  piece  thnf  u..       '""^.'"^^  ^^'^^  J^e  might 

^^^_^^     .        ha<l  lxc„  chewed  a  good  deal,  was  still  fit  for 
When  many  hungry  dogs  are  ton-ether  it  i.  „ 

""der  snch  cirr::;;:;  rs  r^"T'-'-"'-, " 

.seems  to   be  a  shn-n  n  .   •  ^"  "^'^^^P'  ^^^ere 

-.allerfen'le  dot     ;::':;"?"•  ^■''-■■^">'  -"-.','  the 

-specially  an.ong  ,h.  ,„„,,,  „,,,  „    ,^.,t;?:  ■^;""^-  *,«»• 
■ittempt  to  sret  loos..  l.„t        ■  ,    ,'      "  "'"  ""«'<-''"  ""d  to 

-"tihen  the       :;,',:  ■;:  'T''"  '^•^'"""^■'>-  '™''> 
'IH.  n,aste,-'s  p,;„e  .        r,  f   --™l- appropriate 

«lly  i.>  a  sin.  .,  l'  '-;    ""'  ""'  «'■"»•'  t"'i"t-T"pt. 

another  fee    '         hf  I'^'r?  "^^  ^l'--  «"""  <-  - 


I'-it  lie  has  not  been  allowed  a  f, 


;ur 


oppor- 


i 

1 

fi 

11 

:    ,k 

m' 


i 


ll 

1 

J 

^  f 


'(< 


400 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


tunity  to  obtain  his  share  of  the  plunder.     This  beti 


th 


eirwrong-doins;  and  if  the  s! 


& » 


ays 
leepy  owner  will  get  up  and 
attend  to  them  at  once,  he  may  prevent  any  very  serious 
damage.     But  if  the  dogs  are  allowed  to  continue  their 
depredations  they  will  not  be  satisfied  with  trifles.     And 
they  seem  able   to   surmount  nearly  all  obstacles.     The 
stones  of   the  meat  stores  they  upset  with  their  noses  • 
they  open  boxes  that  have  been  well  nailed  by  attackin<r 
the  weaker  places  with  their  teeth  ;  steel  wires  they  teat- 
to  pieces;  ropes  they  gnaw;  and  to  almost  every  kind  of 
package  or  material  they  are  as  destructive  as 'is  many 
a  human  robber.     They  only  hesitate  when  they  come  to 
a  barrel  of  hard-tack.     Although  they  devour  boot-soles 
and  the  entrails  of  all  kinds  of  animals  with  great  relish, 
they  do  not  stoop  so  low  as  to  attemi)t  to  eat  one  of  the' 
hard  and  dry  things  that  are  called  shipsbrcad   and  are 
eaten  by  men. 

In  the  civilized  world  the  prolonged  howling  of  a  dog 
in  what  should  be  the  still  hours  of  the  night  is  regarded 
as  a  certain  indication   that  he  is  troubled  or  distressed. 
In  North  (Greenland  the  case  is  altogether  different.     At 
our  last  winter  quarters,  where  we  often    had   about  one 
hundred  dogs   at  a  time,  we  had  the  plainest  proof  that 
their  howls  in  the  night  were  caused  In-  joy,  and  that  in 
13urpose,  at  least,  they  took   the  place  of  song  in   human 
beings.     They  particularly  excelled  as  chorus  singers;  and 
when   they  were  unusually  happy,  as  when   they  had   fin- 
ished an   excellent  meal  or   had   enjoyed   a  good    night's 
rest,  they  always  treated  us  to  a  concert. 

'1^)  make  the  whole  chorus  take  jjart  in  the  concert  it 
was  only  necessary  that  a  single  one  of  the  number  sing  a 
long   "  O  —  au  —  o  —  au  — o  —  au  —  o  ~  au  I "       But""  it 


lis  betrays 
jet  up  and 
ry  serious 
inue  their 
les.  And 
les.  The 
'ir  noses  ; 
attacking 

tlicy  tear 
■>■  kind  of 

is  many 
I  come  to 
joot-soles 
at  reh'sli, 
ne  of  the 

and  are 

of  a  dog 
regarded 
istressed. 
ent.  At 
)out  one 
•oof  that 
:1  that  in 

human 
ers;  and 
had  fin- 

night's 

in  cert   it 

r  sing  a 

But    it 


iiiii 


ad 


Hi 


Il 


Hf'f  '■!  t) 


Hi 


40: 


ACJUOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


was  imperative  that  this  be  done  by  one  of  the  older  and 
more  dignified  members  of  the  party.  If  one  of  the 
younger  and  less  prominent  ones  attempted  to  start  the 
performance,  it  was  generally  an  utter  failure.  He  emitted 
a  few  faint  howls,  but  the  others  did  not  respond,  and  with 
a  very  foolish  look  ui)on  his  face  he  ceased  his  efforts  to 
provide  a  musical  entertainment. 

To  hear  a  chorus  of  a  half  hundred  dogs  with  well- 
trained  voices  makes  a  powerful  impression  even  upon 
people  who  have  no  ear  for  music.  But  to  persons  ot 
musical  ability  and  cultivated  taste  the  performance  seems 
so  ridiculous  that  they  can  hardly  refrain  from  laughing 
in  the  solemn  face  of  the  leader.  The  entertainment  is 
certainly  a  fine  as  well  as  an  original  "opera  comique." 

It  is  quite  amusing  to  see  the  Eskimo  feed  his  dogs. 
He  cuts  the  meat  in  pieces  as  large  as  his  fist,  piles  thcMii 
on  a  board,  stands  directly  in  front  of  the  place  where  the 
animals  are  tied,  and  when  they  have  all  become  quiet, 
with  their  eyes  fixed  ujDon  the  meat,  he   can  begin   the 
feeding.     This  is  the  only  way  in  which  he  is  able'to  con- 
trol them  so  that  the  weaker  as  well  as  the  stronger  ones 
can   get   their  share.      Piece  after   piece   of  theliieat   is 
thrown  by  the  master  and  dexterously  caught  by  the  dogs 
until   all    is  gone.     If  all    the  dogs  in   the  team   are   okl 
acf|uaintances,  and  in  the  habit  of  being  fed  together,  the 
feeding-time  is  likely  to  pass  without  disturbance;  but  if 
there  are  any  strangers  among  t.em  the  whole  meal  may 
be  a  violent  and  continuous  conflict. 

The  I':skimo  dog  is  naturally  very  much  inclined  to 
right.  Good  friends  actually  fight  for  jjleasure.  They 
.s!)ortivcly  snap  a  few  tufts  of  hnir  from  each  other's  skin, 
!u)wl  and  bark  for  a  while,  and  the  wliole  thing  is  over. 


Ider  and 
Li  of  the 
start  the 
;  emitted 
and  with 
fforts  to 

ith  well- 
2n  upon 
I'sons   ot 
:e  seems 
aiicrhinc: 
ment  is 
que." 
is  doers. 
2s  them 
lere  the 
e  quiet, 
j^in   the 
to  con- 
;er  ones 
meat   is 
he  dot^s 
are   old 
ler,  tlio 
;  but  if 
,'al  may 

ned   to 

They 

s  skin, 

is  over. 


^//^  AVJ^Z'^  Gl^EEA'LA.Vr  DOG 


the  L  wir„o  o  rflVT    ",  "'''  °'  "^^'^  °''--'--     Then 

"oc  only  Hy,  but  the  snow  betwpon  fU    a  1 

"•.1  soon  be  crimson  with  their  blood  '  "^'^'"^ 

Another  characteristic  of  this  ric,'.  nf  .   •      ,     ■ 
each  team  of  dogs  l,as  its  ow    kin        H  "  ""' 

strongest,  but  he  is  the  mo!    ft    I  7'"^  "°'  ^  "'^ 

-on.  them,  and  not^LH    t     ml^  T"  '''T 
tyrannical  rule.     When  twn  .f  ,"''''  '°  "PPosc  his 

thrown  together  a  ve!v  "^''  '"'  "'  '^''"^  ^"S^  •-"<= 

be  commenced  by     J      ll^  n  '^f '  '""  ™™*-*'y 
san,c  tin,e  tliere  „i     bl    "  '  '™  "^''""'^-     ^'  the 

other  do<.s  o    t  ,e  '''""'-■'■"'  ''"'"'^  '^'='^^<='=n    the 

not  till  then,  tb^:::ritS  of  tntt,r"''"f''«'v^"'' 

established.     But  the  vanc,uish  d  'i      t  X  !  ',^  'f'^ 
in  spirt.     His  tnil  fr^....,     i  •  ^'^  ''^  ^•"^''y  broken 

bacL-    now  h    ,:'li    ,      :^T"''"'  '^--"y  ouried  on  his 
was  so  erect  i   ^ow    i  ,  ""r"'"'  ^"'^  "'"  ^'^^'^  "'at 

--;"^:,^:;;:;b:';r:;:e:::^r  r^T  v-^ 

natives  sav  his  ^n^...,-  ^^  '  '^"'^  '^'^'^''^  ^iie 

•'^'i)   nas  sometimes  been  so  severe  as  tn  «l.,.    . 

t'le  extmction  of  the  breed  WU         J  \    T       ^'''^'''^^^" 

ease  the  do<.  Ins.    W  •  "  ''"''''^'^'^'  '^>^  ^'^'^  ^I's- 

ti-symt!^  i^:::v'^^^^^^^^ 
--^^i;c:t,;:t;:::r^^^^ 

nnlv  I'r,  fi,^  cnsease,  but  as  it  occurs; 

";?;:::!rrr^r^-:- ''-- !'-o".  night':; 


'iff.- 

I' if 


•'i: 


'II 


.  ni 


P'-obable   that  cold  and'  dark 


ness  an'   ♦^i 


ic 


M 


I   I 


1:  .r 

1  ? 

404 


ACfioss  northei:n  Greenland 


principal  factors  in  its  production.     The  foxes  also  in  this 
region  are  said  to  be  subject  to  this  disease. 

It  was  only  natural  that  the  appearance  of  the  disease, 
of  which  there  were  several  cases  among  the  dogs  at  Red- 
clifTe  House,  caused  the  members  of  the  expedition  a 
great  deal  of  anxiety.  Its  close  resemblance  to  hydro- 
phobia  was  a  sufficient  cause  for  alarm;  but  we  were 
greatly  relieved  to  find,  and  to  have  our  observations  con- 
firmed by  the  natives,  that  the  bite  of  an  affected  animal 
was  not  dangerous  to  man. 

As  the  success  of  future  polar  expeditions  may  very 
largely  depend  upon  the  use  of  Eskimo  dogs,  it  seems  to 
be  of  great  importance  to  prevent  an  outbreak  of  this  dis- 
ease. I  am  convinced  that  this  can  be  done  by  having 
electric  lights  in  winter,  furnishing  the  dogs  a  moderate 
degree  of  protection  dufing  storms  and  periods  of  severe 
cold,  serving  their  meat  warm  instead  of  frozen,  and  sup- 
plying them  with  0  sufficient  quantity  of  water  to  drink. 

In  North  Greenland  the  dogs  often  mate  for  life.  If 
young  are  expectc^d  in  the  cold  season,  a  bed  is  prepared 
on  one  of  the  side  benches  in  the  hut,  near  the  lamps, 
and  here  the  mother  remains  with  her  pups  until  the 
winter  is  over,  though  to  quench  her  thirst  she  is  often 
obliged  to  go  out  in  the  cold  and  darkness  to  lick  the 
snow.  Hardly  anywhere  are  pups  more  kindly  treated  or 
more  dearly  loved  than  they  are  in  the  hut  of  the  poor 
Eskimo.  The  father  of  the  household  plays  with  them 
and  names  them,  the  mother  sews  nice  white  collars  of 
bear-skin  for  all  the  dark-haired  ones,  while  the  children 
caress  and  pet  them  all  day  long. 

In  the  spring  the  pups  may  bo  large  enough  for  the 
owner   to  commence   their   training.     Some   fine  day  he 


Iso  in  this 

e  disease, 
:s  at  Red- 
edition  a 
to  hydro- 
we  were 
ions  con- 
d  animal 

nay  very 
seems  to 

this  dis- 
y  having 
iioderatc 
)f  severe 
md  sup- 
drink. 

Hfe.  If 
prepared 
2  lamps, 
ntil  the 
is  often 
lick  the 
eated  or 
he  poor 
th  them 
)llars  of 
:hildren 

for  the 
day  he 


TIf£  NORm  GREENLAND  DOG 
furnishes  each  with  a  «moH  u  *°^ 

older  animals,  takes  2  1  ?'"  "^'  "''"'  ^^^  °'  '^^ 

,  .  '  '^''•'^"^^  one  or  two   nt  n   4-:^     r 

;l"ve.    It  docs  not  require  .ucirti:     or  t^L  T  t  ^'"" 
familiar  with  the  meanincr  ..f  fi        ,  •  ^  ^°  become 

entca,,s,andwhen^:-l;     r..:5er;'"^"r'''^^'-- 
IS  completed.  't-achtd  their  education 


i^m- 


A   r.RoUl'   OK    PlJKs 


Ml 


lM\ 


V        M 


:! 


1 

i 

X 

i 

■1                      ■    ' 

f 

i 

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ij 

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ESKIMO    HOY 


f  !!<> 


\>'  i,i- 


i  f 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

HOME    I.IFK,    IIAHITS    AND    CHARACTER 

To  civilized  people  the  domestic  life  of  the  Eskimos,  or 
Innuits,  by  both  of  whicii  terms  the  natives  at  Smith 
Sound  are  designated,  seems  very  peculiar. 

The  winters  are  spent  in  low,  small  huts.  These  are 
built  of  stones  and  moss,  and  are  always  near  the  ocean. 
The  usual  size  of  a  hut  is  about  thirteen  feet  in  length 
and  breadth.  The  roof  is  so  low  that  a  man  of  ordinar)- 
size  cannot  stand  erect  under  it.  Sometimes  huts  are 
built  so  close  to  each  other  that  they  are  converted  into 
one  by  simply  cutting  through  the  separating  wall. 

The  inside  of  a  hut  is  reached  through  a  long  and  nar- 
row entry,  also  built  of  stone,  which  is  so  low  that  one  is 
obliged  to  creep  when  he  goes  in  or  out.  /\  small  square 
opening  in  the  end  wall  leads  up  to  the  living-room.  Di- 
rectly over  the  entry  is  a  square  window,  closed  with  a 
skin,  and  c^'ten  almost  covered  with  snow.  In  its  centre 
there  is  an  ojjening  a  few  inches  in  diameter,  through 
\vhich    the    hot   and  almost    suffocating    air   of    the    hut 


HOME  LIFE,   HABITS  AND   CHARACTER  407 

escapes  as  a  ray  of   steam,  and  which  also   serves   as  I 
peep-hole  when  the  inmates  hear  noises  outside 

Ihe  family  sleep  in  the  back  part  of  the  hut  on  a 
platform,  about  twenty  inches  high,  which  is  made  of 
stones  and  covered  with  bear  or  reindeer  skins.  Benches 
of  the  same  height  are  also  built  along  the  sides  of  the 
hut.  Upon  one  of  these  stands  a  bowl-shaped  lam]3  of 
s  one.  I)n-ectly  over  it  is  an  oblong  cooking-vessel,  n.ade 
of  he  same  material,  which  is  hung  by  strings  from  the 
roof. 

The  flame  of  the  lamp  is  sustained  by  blubber  and  fine 


m\ 


A.\    LMvI.Mo    UUUSli    IN    WIMLK 

peat  and  serves  to  both  light  and  warm  the  small  room 
If  the  hght  goes  out  another  is  started  by  means  of 
sparks  from  flint  or  ironstone. 

In  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  their  winter  huts 
the  natives  buHd  stone  chambers,  about  half  in  and  half 
above   the   ground.     Here    the    house-mother  keeps  her 


Mtlij 


1   ^^  ■    j. 

1: 

■V  I  '- 

'«■ 

i          '  ' 

if 

I         1. 

408 


ACJ?OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


Stores  of  skins  and  other  valuable  materials,  and  the 
hunter  places  hi.  winter  furs.  The  stores  of  meat  are  a 
little  farther  from  the  hut  and  are  covered  with  a  pile  of 
stones.  ^ 

In  the  spring,  when  the  days  lengthen  and  the  rays  of 
the  sun  begin  to  spread  a  little  warmth  over  the  landscape 
the  Eskmio  leaves  his  close  and  dark  winter  abode,  packs' 
tlie  seal-skin  tent  of  the  family  on  his  sledge,  and  goes  to 
some  place  not  far  distant    that    is    free  from  snow  and 
appears  to  be  a  desirable  location  for  a  summer  residence 
Here  he  pitches  the  tent,  and  the  whole  family  enjoy  the 
freer  life  of  the  new  home. 

As  a  rule,  before  leaving  their  winter  huts  the  Eslimos 
remove  the  roofs  so  that  the  interiors  may  be  thoroucdily 
ventilated.  They  live  in  tents  fron.  the  end  of  Aprit  till 
September.  Then  they  return  to  huts;  but  as  they  are 
fond  of  change,  they  sometimes  select  a  different  place 
from  the  one  in  which  the  last  winter  was  passed 

I  he  mother  of  the  household  attends  to  the  lamp  both 
;n  the    hut  and   the  tent.     She  is  careful    to  renew   the 
blubber  besKle  it  when  the  supply  already  there  is  melted 
and  to  so    adjust  the    flame  that    there  will    be  as  little' 
smoke  as  possible.     She  also  melts  the  snow  that  is  used 
for  various  purposes,  and  does  the  cooking  for  the  family. 
Ihat  the  domestic  utensils  are  not  kept  in  a  condition 
that  would  be  considered    decent   by  civilized    people  is 
no     surprising    when    we    remen.ber    that   the    Eskimos 
really  have  no  sense  of  cleanliness.     The  large  stone  pot, 
tl  e  fla    dishes    the  drinking-cups,  and    the  boards  upon 
wHich   the  food  IS  kept  are  covered  with  a  thick  layei   of 
dn-t,  grease,  and  dried  blood,  the  odor  of  which  will,  until 
he  has  become  accustomed  to  it,  deprive  a  white  man  of 


,  and  the 
neat  are  a 
1  a  pile  of 

he  rays  of 
andscape, 
>de,  packs 
d  goes  to 
>novv  and 
■esidence. 
enjoy  the 

Eskimos 
o  roughly 
April  till 
they  are 
nt  place 

mp  both 
lew    the 

melted, 
as  little 

is  used 

faniil)'. 
)ndition 
}ople  is 
-skimos 
ine  pot, 
•s  upon 
lyer  of 
II,  until 
nan  of 


mM£  Lim,   HABITS  AND   CHARACIT.R  ^^ 

hi.s  wetite  lict  aftc.,-  a  long  clay'»  walk  over  the  rough 
■snow-fields,  m  a  low  temperature,  when  the  muscles  ^e 
weary,  and  the  whole  system  cries  out  for  food  and  water 
>e  most  damty  son  of  civilisation  will  be  glad  to  eat  o/ 
the  plam  and  poorly  prepared  food  and  drink  from  the 
greasy  cups  of  the  hospitable  Eskimos 

The   dishes  which  the    Eskimo   housewife  offers    her 


ST„»K   „„rs  OR    ,O..OOS -TAKEN   «T   M,„McHT 


fam.ly  ami  her  guests  at  the  diiTerent  seasons  of  the  vcar 
are  neither  numerous  nor  con,plicated.  Meat  of  walrus 
seal  narwhal  bear,  reindeer,  hares,  and  auks,  with  differ- 
ent kmds  of  blood,  forms  the  foundation  of  all  her  cook- 
ing. Sp.ces,  salt,  or  other  condiments  are  entirely  un- 
known.     Considerable   blubber  is  eaten,  but   the   lar<Tcr 


.  t    ■     < 
»    ■ 

itli] 
I 


w       I 


w  '  n 


Si  i  I, 


\ 

i         : 

i     >: 

• 

i. 

410 


ACIWSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


m 


m 


r 

if 

M 

«i 

k,\ 

\ 

1 

part  of   it  is  used  for   furnishing  light  and  heat      As  a 
rule,  the  meat  is  cooked,  but  it  is  sometimes  eaten  ^aw 
especially  when  it  is  frozen.     When  it  has  been  kept  lone' 
enough    to    reach    a    condition    in    which    most  civilized 
people  woukl  consider  it  spoiled,  it  is  esteemed  a  great 
delicacy.     The  liver   of  several  animals   and    certain  en- 
trails of  the  seal  are  prized  for  food,  as  is  also  the  material 
found  in  the  stomach  of  the  reindeer.     The  latter  consists 
of  vegetable  matter,  but  it  is  so  rarely  obtained  that  it  can 
almost  be  said  that  meat  is  the  exclusive  article  of  diet  of 
the  North  Greenland  Eskimos. 

Dog  meat  is  sometimes  eaten,  but  only  under  excep- 
tional circumstances.     Nothing  short  of  the  greatest  ne- 
cessity will   induce  a  native  to  kill  one  of  his  dogs.     Be- 
sides, the  dogs  are  generally  very  lean  and  their'meat  is 
not  i)alatable.     The  people  consi.lcr  the  flesh  of  pups  a 
good  article  of  food,  and   I   think   Ihey  are  capable  jud-^es 
•n    this  matter.     Once  whe.i    I   was    at    the    Caoe    York 
colony  and  nearly  starved,  I   was  given  some  frozen  raw 
meat  of  a  pup  that  tasted  very  wc-11.     It  somewhat  resem- 
bled the  meat  of  a  bear.     This  mig'U  not  be  the  general 
oi^'n.on  of  the  cjuality  of  this  kind  of  food,  but  it  i^  stated 
merely  as  my  personal  impression. 

The  natives  at  Smith  Sound  use  nothing  but  water  for 
dnnking  purposes.  When  we  first  offereci  them  tea  and 
CO  fee  many  of  them  refused,  but  after  a  time  they  bec.an 
c.  Ike  thc^e  drinks.  They  also  soon  learned  to  like  hal-d- 
tack,  which,  considering  the  fact  that  they  are,  in  the  true 
sense  of  the  word,"a  breadless  people."  is  not  very  surpris- 
'n.i;^.  Of  spirits  and  tobacco  they  were  entirely  ignorant, 
and  we  were  caivful  not  to  enlighten  them.  It  is'remark- 
able  that  they  do  not   use,  or  even   know  of  any  kind  of 


HOME  LIFE,   HABITS  AND   CtlAKAClEN         4,, 
Stimulant     I„  this  respect  they  are  yet  in   .he  original 
state  of  .nnocence     which  no  other  people  in  the  ^orld 
appear  ■^o  have  preserved. 

The  meals  are  eaten  in  a  very  plain  and  easy  nmnner. 


li. 


CAPIC   YOKK.    SMITH    SOHN  „  _  ksK  1  M. .  SI.KI.S   ,.N   ■,„,,    .rK 

The  housewife  places  the  pieces  of  boiled  meat  in  a  vessel 
fiom  which  the  members  of  the  family,  all  of  whom  a,v' 
very  scantily  clothed,  take  them  with  their  hands  when 
tlicy  want  them.  In  eating,  a  large  piece  of  meat  is  taken 
to  the  mouth  with  the  left  hand  and  mi  off  close  to  the 
hps  with  a  sharp  knife  that  is  held  in  the  right  hand 

As  with  civilized  people,  marriages  among  the  natives 
of  this  region  are  contracted  for  life.  As  a'rule  the  rela- 
tion  of  husband  and  wife  continues  as  long  as  they  both 


E'|, 


r 


V 


1  4 
.1 1 


iiil 


Hi 

p 


ll;|     J 

"1-! 


412 


^C/iOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


live,  tlu,.,gh  sopamtions  sometimes  occur.     A  few  venrs 

.row™,  ;^''  'T  'f  ^"*  '^-^l^- -y'"S  .hat  he';., 
."o  old  and  went  to  hve  witi,  Kala,  a  n,iddle-aged  wid- 
ower.       „  excuse  for  this  fault  of  the  i„  manj-  respe  ts 
estunab  e  w„,„au,  it  can  only  be  said  that  aUhou-d    her 
husband    was    not  so   very  old,  he    really   did  present  a 
superannuated  appearance.     His  walk  was  unsteady  one 
eg  was   crooked  from    rheun.atism,  his  face  was  full  o 
d.rty  wrn,kles,  his  nose  and  cheeks  had  taken  on  a  blMish 
","  f™'"  ^''P<'«"-e  to  wind  and  weather,  his  eyes  were 
edged  with  a  red  border,  and  his  hair- his  hair -well 
let  us  not  attempt  to  carry  the  description  any  farther' 
And  yet  th,s  Imie  la.ne  n,an  is  full  of  fun,  and  gives  his 
"e.ghbors   the   pleasure  of  many  a  laugh.     Hi.s   friend 

da  dattghter  who  keeps  hou.se  for  him,  see  that  he  does' 
not  suifer  from  want.  . 

Polygan,y  does  not  exist  among  these  people  nossiblv 
because  the  conditions  arc  tu.favo.blo,  bu    h     ba'd      nd 

">.-.tt u.      I  he  unmanned  yo,„,g  people  are  strictly  chaste 
1  he  pos,t,on  of  the  nurried  won,an  is  as  di.n, Ld  a  d 
respected  as  is  that  of  the  ,nan,  though  in  an^  1  Lta  u 
d.sa,._.u.  she  is  obliged  to  submit  t.,  the  w.^ 

The  relations  between  parents  an<l  children  are  as 
elose  and  as  affectionate  as  they  are  in  .any  pa  t  o  the 
world       Vhen  sn,all,  the  ehildren  are  ra.her'nic      :  i  , 

..^  In      '?'"""""■'.'■  '"^'""^  ''^•™"-'  -.chcoars' 
and  ha^e  a   less    attractive   appearance.     At    birth  their 
P-ents  g,ve    then,    na.nes,  usnallv  onlv  one,  b       s 
'"-s  two,  for  each  child.     These'  nan.'es  are  cl::;: 


III 


J  { 


few  years 
hat  he  was 
;-aged  vvid- 
>3'  resjjects 
hough  her 

present  a 
iteady,  one 
t-as  full  of 
n  a  bluish 
eyes  were 
lir  — well, 
y  farther, 
gives  his 
>    friends, 
t  he  does 

.  possibly 
ands  and 

I  want  of 
V  serious 
^  chaste, 
fied  and 
nportant 

II  of  her 

are  as 
t  of  the 
looking, 
coarser 
th  their 
sonie- 
nnionly 


^WAfE  LIFE,   HABITS  AND   CHARACTER  4,3 

ects.     The  children  are  rarely  punished,  and  as  they  are 
thoroughly  good-natured  punishment   is  seldom   needed 
The  youngsters  often  appear  very  sweet  and  cunning  as 
for  instance,  when  playing  in  the  open  air  a  game  ;;.' 
respondu,g  to  the  "  tag  "  of  civilized  lands,  or  when  coas  . 


INTERIOR    01.    inn 


■ns  on  the  Imlc  sleiRh.s  which  their  kind  faehers  have 
"'acle  ,„•  Ihcn,.  lixcept  in  the  n>il<lest  way  they  never 
q-rrel  „r  f,,ht,  and  they  never  call  each  „tl,er  names  or 
use  al,n,s,ve  langtuge  in  any  way.  In  .short,  they  are  a 
lot  of  dn-ty  angels. 

M.->rriages  iake  place  at  a  very  early  age.  The  n,an 
«'  l>os  t„  marry  as  soon  as  he  thinks  he  can  support  a 
w.fe.  nsnally  when  f,o„,  si.vteen  to  twenty  years  old,  and 
the  K.rls  are  considered  marrLafreable  when  thev  reach 
he  age  of  lonrteen  years,  l.ove  seems  to  be  th'e  fomv 
clat,<,n  for  all  ntarriages.  Kven  if  it  were  preferred,  mnr- 
ryn,K  for  n.oney  or  other  worldly  f-oods  wonld  not  be 
I'o-sible.      1  he  enijagemcnt  lasts  quite  a  lonf;  lime,  but 


l^- 


^fsffl 


III 


I 


11 


Hi 


il. 


414  ACROSS  NOR  Tim  RN  GREENLAND 

there  are  no  ceremonies  whatever  connected  with  the 
weddincr.  The  number  of  children  in  a  family  is  usually 
three  or  four.  Sometimes,  but  not  often,  it  reaches  five  or 
even  six. 

When    a    visitini;    l':skimo    arrives   from   some  distant 
colony  he  does  not   say  "Good  day"  or  "How  do  you 
do,"  and  the  men  and  women  upon  whom  he  is  calling  do 
not  welcome  him  with  words.     A  bashful  smile  is  alfuiat 
he  offers,  and  the  same  greeting  is  returned.     Soon  one 
of  the  older  Eskimos,  in  a  low  voice,  makes  some  remark 
or  asks  some  question,  and  thus  a  conversation  will  be 
slowly  started.     When  the  visitor  is  leaving,  he  does  not 
say    "Good-by,"   but    harnesses  his    dogs    to    the   sledge 
and  goes  away  without  saying  a  word  about  it.     In  their 
whole  behavior  these  people  show  a  most  absolute  inde- 
pendence which  will    astonish  any  civilized    person   who 
comes  in  contact  with  them. 

Before  starting  on  a  long  journey  the  natives  drink  as 
much  water  as  possible.  This  is  done  as  a  precaution 
agamst  thirst,  which  in  a  fatiguing  journey  in  the  ex- 
tremely dry  Arctic  aii     ,  a  fearful  torture. 

During  the  winter  night,  which  lasts  nearly  four 
months,  there  is  never  a  hick  of  sociability.  This  tends 
to  make  the  time  pass  more  cjuickly  for  th'e  people  than 
It  otherwise  would  do.  'i'lie  younger  families,  especially, 
travel  around  a  great  deal,  visiting  their  parents,  aunts,' 
uncles,  and  other  relatives  and  friends.  In  many  cases 
they  spend  more  time  in  this  way  than  they  do  at'  home. 
lu'en  if  for  a  short  time  they  are  at  home,  they  have 
usually  made  a  previous  arrangement  to  entertain  some 
guests. 

In  December  and  January  the   darkness  is  so  intense 


m 


with  the 
is  usually 
ics  five  or 

ie  distant 
>v  do  you 
:alling  do 
is  all  that 
•>oon  one 
e  remark 
1  will  be 
does  not 
le   sledge 
In  their 
Lite  inde- 
son   who 

drink  as 

ecaution 

the  e.\- 

rly  four 
lis  tends 
)le  than 
pecially, 
\  aunts, 
ly  cases 
t  home. 
ey  have 
in  some 

intense 


HOME  LIFE,   HABTTS  AND   CHARACTER  4,5 

that  travelling  can  be  done  only  by  moonlight.  When 
the  moon  appears,  once  in  four  weeks,  it  remains  con- 
stantly visible  for  about  a  week,  and  gives  a  splendid 
light  for  the  travel-loving  Innuits. 

There  is  haj^piness  shining  on  the  broad  faces  <,f  the 
natives  when  in  the  month  of  February  the  sun,  after 
he  depressing  darkness  of  the  winter,  begins  to  give  to 
the  clouds  nearest  the  horizon  a  golden  coloring  And 
when  the  sun  itself  for  the  first  time  comes  into  ^iew  the 
joy  IS  unbounded.  (31d  and  young,  men,  women,  and 
children,  gather  on  the  rocks  behind  the  huts  of  the 
colony,  where  the  view  is  unobstructed,  and  with  joyful 
shouts  greet  the  returning  king  of  day. 

The  Eskimos  at  Smith  Sound  have  no  definite  method 
of  computing  time  or  of  stating  the  exact  date  at  which 
any  given  event  occurred.  If  they  want  to  '  dicate  a  cer- 
tain hour  of  the  day,  they  state  the  position  of  the  sun 
or  the  stars  in  the  sky  at  this  time.  They  have  names 
tor  our  four  seasons  and  terms  to  designate  the  to  them 
;-iiportant  periods  of  the  year,  as  "the  days  that  we  move 
nito  tents," "the  days  when  the  sun  leaves  us," and  various 
other  times  and  events. 

It  would  naturally  be  expected  that  a  pe(,ple  situated 
like  the  Eskimos,  compelled  to  fight  a  hard  battle  for   v 
mere  existence,  and  who  arc  in  almost  constant  daiv-cr  of 
tinding  their  food  supplies  exhausted,  and  with  no  certain 
means  of  replenishing  them,  would  be  very  serious  and 
unhappy.     We  would  suppose  that  they  would  regard  life 
as  an  evil  which  for  some  reason  had  been  forced  up(,n 
theni,  and  from  which  death  would  bring  them  a  welcome 
relief      Mut  with   regard   to  the  I<:skimos  such  an  opinion 
would  be  wholly  incorrect.     To  one  who  lives  with  them 


f 


\^\ 


n.      jI 


I     '  n 


»} 


It 


7 


,i.j 


41  \  iff-!l 


416 


ACIWSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


until  he  is  well  acquainted  with  their  ways  and  under- 
stands their  language,  their  joyful  laughter,  their  amusing 
witticisms,  their  frequent  jokes,  and,  in  fact,  their  whole 
conduct,  will  indicate  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that 
these  people  are  unusually  well  satisfied  with  their  lot  in 
life. 

Upon    looking  more   closely  at  the   matter,  this  satis- 
faction  with   what  seem   to   be   Nery   hard   conditions  of 
existence  will  not  be  as  difiHcult  to  explain  as  it  at  first 
glance  appears.     In  the  first  j^lace  they  enjoy  excellent 
health.     As  they  advance  in  years  they  suffer  somewhat 
from  rheumatism,  but  they  seldom  have  any  other  severe 
illness.     Snow-blindness,  a  slight  inflammation  of  the  eyes 
caused  by  the  bright  reflection  of  the  sun  on  the  snow, 
frequently  attacks  the  men  in  the  sjjring,  but  it  does  not 
often  prove  serious   in  its  results.     Another  and  a  very 
important  reason  for  their  contentment  is  found   in   the 
fact  that  this  small   I-:skimo  society  is  founded  ujwn  the 
principle  of  equal  rights  and  privileges  for  all  of  its  mem- 
bers.    Money  is  entirely  unknown.     Love  to  one  s  neigh- 
bor  is  a  fundamental  law.     A   society  in  which  lilxM-ty, 
ecpiality,  and  fraternity  are  not,  as  in  many  civilized  lands,' 
merely  a  distant  and  an  almost  hopeless  ideal,  but  are  the 
actual  rule  of  life  and  conduct,  can  hardly  fail  to  secure  a 
large  share  of  hai)])iness  and  contentment. 

If  one  of  the  hunters  is  more  skilful  or  has  better  suc- 
cess than  his  companions,  so  that  during  the  summer  he 
obtains  a  larger  c|uantity  of  me.it  than  will  be  needed  l)y 
himself  and  his  family  in  the  winter  he  does  not  conceal 
the  surplus,  or  attempt  to  withhold  it  from  the  others. 
On  the  contrary,  with  pleasure  and  i)ride  he  will  distribute 
it  amojig  those  whose  eyes  are  not  as  keen  or  whose  arms 


_i 


HOME  LIFE,   HABITS  AND  CHARACTER         4,, 

are  not  as  strong  as  his  own,  or  who  were  not  as  fortunate 
m  hndmg  good  hunting-grounds. 

If  the  question  were  raised  whether  the  expert  hunters 
who  secure  an  adequate  quantity  of  provisions  f-.  the 
winter  ni  a  comparatively  brief  time,  will  not  be  more 
.nclmed  to  spend  a  part  of  the  summer  in  idleness  than  to 
con  mue  the  hunt  in  the  interest  of  others,  the  answer 
would  be  that  as  long  as  the  ambition  of  these  men  con- 
tmues  as  groat  as  it  is  at  present,  there  is  no  danger  of 
then-  relaxmg  their  eiTorts,  even  if  their  natural  kindness 
of  heart  is  not  taken  into  the  account. 

It  is  a  rule  among  this  people  that  any  game  which  a 
hunter  does  not  take  home,  but  leaves  at  some  convenient 
pomt,  covered  with  stones  for  possible  future  use,  can  be 
taken  by  others,  if  needed,  with  perfect  right,  and  without 
asking  pe,™,ss,on  of  any  one.      It  often  happens  that 
meat  stored  in  this  way  by  one  man  is  used  by  others 
In  fact,  the  tribe  forms  a  single  family,  and  each  member' 
without  exception,  consecrates  the  work  of  his  life  to  the 
common  good.     They  have  the  joys  of  life,  as  well  as  the 
hardships  and  sufferings,  in  common.     It  is  seldom  that 
this  tribe  arc  visited  by  a  real  famine;  and  though  some 
authors  have  represented  them  as  improvident,  my  obser- 
vation convinced  me  that  they  endeavor  to  enter  the  win- 
ter  with  a  full  stock  of  provisions,  and  that  they  usually 
succeed  in  obtaining  a  liberal  supjjly. 

The  members  of  this  tribe  manifest  a  strong  ai^ection 
for  each  other.  This,  perhaps,  is  not  remarkable  when  it 
IS  remembered  that  the  company  is  comparatively  small 
and  having  for  a  long  period  been  isolated  from  nil  other 
tribes,  the  members  are  related  to  each  other  by  blood  as 
well  as  by  the  common  ties  of  humanity.  As  an  instance 
27 


M^ 


im 


VJ  ff 


liiti 


'M 


.H 


^^^  f  !  I 


41S 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


of  the  general  concern  for  the  welfare  of  the  individual  I 
well  remember  how  anxious  the  members  of  the  colony 
appeared  at  a  time  when  one  of  the  younger  hunters 
remain'-d  away  a  day  longer  than  was  his  usual  custom. 

It  is  extremely  seldom  that  Eskimos  quarrel,  and  when 
a  disagreement  occurs  it  is  a  very  tame  affair.  The  par- 
ties do  not  talk  loudly  or  call  each  other  names,  but  sim- 
ply separate.  They  are  a  quiet  and  gentle  people,  and 
very  much  dislike  anything  in  the  way  of  disturbance  or 
discord. 

Judging  from  the  best  information  we  could  obtain,  it 
seems  probabi  <;hat  the  natural  period  of  life  is  about 
sixty  years.  The  debility  incident  to  old  age  is  then  fully 
developed,  and  in  many  cases  is  accompanied  by  an  in- 
flammation of  the  lungs  which  soon  proves  fatal. 

The  communistic  form  of  their  society  renders  stealino- 
from  each  other  impos  ible.  And  it  must  be  said  of  them 
that  they  are  really  an  honest  people.  When  we  first 
went  among  them  they  would  often  take  articles  from 
the  members  of  the  expedition  ;  but  as  they  had  no  know- 
ledge of  the  principle  of  private  ownership  of  property, 
they  could  not  justly  be  blamed  for  doing  so.  When 
they  learned  that  we  disappro/ed  of  their  course  we 
could  always  rely  upon  their  honesty.  Still,  it  was  plain 
to  see  that  they  were  intelligent  enough  to  perceive  the 
injustice  of  our  holding  them  to  a  strict  account  while  we 
were  taking  possession  of  their  land  without  their  permis- 
sion and  without  compensation,  and  killing  the  reindeer 
which  would  have  been  useful  to  them  for  food. 

The  Eskimos  rarely  told  us  an  untruth.  When  they 
did  so  it  usually  appeared  to  be  in  order  to  fool  the  white 
people  who  thought  themselves  so  wise,  rather  than  from 


lividual  I 
le  colony 
:  hunters 
:ustom. 
md  when 
The  par- 
but  sim- 
ople,  and 
rbance  or 

obtain,  it 
is  about 
hen  fully 
)y  an  in- 
stealing 
i  of  them 
we  first 
les  from 
lo  know- 
property, 
When 
urse   we 
as  plain 
eive  the 
kvhile  we 
•  permis- 
reindeer 

len  they 
iie  white 
an  from 


HOME  LIFE,  HABITS  AND   CHARACTER         4,, 
either  malice  or  habit.     They  seldom  or  never  lie  to  each 
other,  bu   ,t  .s  very  „ard  for  them  to  tell  a  truth  that  th 
know  w,.l  be  disagreeable,  and  they  employ  all  kinds  of 
subterfuges  to  avoid  such  an  unpleasant  task 

Upon  the  whole,  the  morals  of  this  interesting  tribe 

Tc^:J  I '"  ^  remembered  that  while  the  people 
of  Chnsfan  nations  are  subjected  to  many  and  strong 
temptafons  to  violate  the  principles  of  religion,  the  Eskl 
mos  hve  under  much  simpler  conditions,  and  ca^  far  mor 
eas,  y  avo.d  transgression.  For  many  of  the  evils  which 
stam  cvihzed  .society  these  people  have  neither  motive 
nor  opportunity;  and  while  in  various  ways  they  earnestly 
endeavor  to  follow  the  right,  there  are  other  directions  in 
which  their  virtues  are  negative  rather  than  positive 

The  good    humor  of    the    Eskimos   is    inexhaustible. 
V\  hen  a    arge  company  is  gathered,  as  occurred  several 
times  at  the  house  of  the  Peary  expedition,  their  mirth  is 
unbounded      It  would  be  utterly  impossible  to  describe 
he    crcus    we  had  when  a  party  of  Eskimos  came  to  the 
house,  and  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives  saw  a  mule 
Iheir  mirth  was  exuberant,  but  was  far  from  childish  and 
many  and  witty  were  their  remarks  about  the  long  ears 
and  the  hairless  tail  of  the  animal  before  them. 

One  of  the  leading  wits  of  the  tribe  was  little  fat  Ekva 
He  would  sit  for  hours  in  the  centre  of  a  little  circle  and 
keep  the  audience  laughing  at  his  talk  and  jokes.  But  he 
did  not  forget  his  family.  He  was  always  careful  to  put 
"ito  a  dirty  seal-skin  bag  part  of  the  hard-tack  that  was 
given  him  and  carry  it  to  his  little  two  years'  old  child 
Annedor  when  he  went  home. 

In  the  Eskimo  tribe  a'  «mith  Sound  there  are  no  chiefs 


nil 


»!!«?! 


rr 


:  $1 


420 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


or  persons  who  in  any  way  bear  rule  over  others.  Each 
member  is  his  own  master,  and  one  never  interferes  with 
the  affairs  of  another.  The  older  men  who  have  been  or 
who  still  are  remarkably  skilful  hunters  seem  to  receive  a 
good  deal  of  respect,  and  their  words  have  considerable 
influence  upon  the  other  members  of  the  colony,  but  this 
is  merely  a  matter  of  deference,  and  not  a  recognition  of 
authority.  No  greater  degree  of  liberty  can  be  found  in 
any  part  of  the  world  than  is  enjoyed  by  the  happy  people 
of  this  cold  and  desolate  land. 


it 


if 


5.  Each 
2res  with 
:  been  or 
receive  a 
siderable 
but  this 
nition  of 
ound  in 
y  people 


CHAPTER   XXV 

INTELLIGENCE,    RELIGIOUS  IDEAS  AND  CUSTOMS 

From    the   description  already    given,  the   reader   will 
readily  admit  that  the  natives  at  Smith  Sound,  like  their 
brothers   farther  south,  are    really  an  intelligent   people 
The  weapons  which  they  make  and  the  manner  in  which 
they  conduct    Jieir  hunting  expeditions  show  that   they 
are   not  wanting  either  in  ingenuity  or  in  skill.     In  re- 
cent years  contact  with  the  members  of  the  Peary  expedi- 
tion has  done  much  to  develop  these  qualities  as  well  as 
to  bring  the  merits  of  the  tribe  to  the  attention  of  civil- 
ized people. 

They  greatly  surprised  us  by  the  facility  with  which 
they  learned  to  use  firearms  and  the  skill  which  they 
exhibited,  after  practising  for  only  a  few  hours,  in  hand- 
ling our  whale-boats. 

I  think  Kolotengva  is  one  of  the  most  gifted  men  im 
the  tribe.  He  is  certainly  one  of  the  ablest  and  most 
efficient  of  the  younger  members.  He  is  about  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  with  a  powerful  frame  and  muscles  like 
steel.  His  eyes  are  small  but  bright,  and  he  can  cleaily 
discern  distant  objects  that  are  invisible  to  ordinary 
people.  His  hair,  which  is  long  and  black,  is  quite  curly 
and  forms  a  fine  frame  for  his  brave-looking  face.  In 
many  ways  }  e  reminds  me  of  chiefs  of  whom  I  have  read 
in  Indian  tales.  No  one  in  the  whole  tribe  was  prouder 
than     Kolotengva,   no   one    more   independent,  no   one 


In 


ifj 


r 


> 


Iff-. 


Mi.. 


if  '  ■'  w, 


It  i      j,,» 

4'  » 


i'ii 


422 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


cooler  In  danger,  shrewder  in  hunting,  or  more  faithful 
in  friendship.  Tungvingva,  his  wife,  was  a  red-cheeked, 
smiling  child  with  dark  eyes  and  snow-white  teeth. 

This  couple  had  a  pastime  in  x/hich  no  other  members 
of  the  tribe  ever  engaged.  This  was  drawing.  Some- 
times they  made  sketches  of  the  ships  of  the  Kablunak 
(white  men),  sometimes  men  were  represented,  at  others 
animals,  huts,  tents,  or  kaiaks.  As  '  had  fortunately 
brought  a  larger  quantity  of  these  t:..  3  than  I  needed, 
I  kept  them  supplied  with  pencils  an.,  paper.  Many  of 
their  drawings  were  very  interesting,  and  all,  without  a 
single  exception,  showed  that  they  were  keen  observers. 

A  picture  drawn    by    Kolotengva  in  my  sketch    book 
represents  a  hunting  scene.      Two  hunters,  an   Eskimo 
with  a  bow  and  arrow  and  a  Kablunak  with  a  rifle,  are  ap- 
proaching two  reindeer  from  different  directions.     Their 
sledge  is  waiting  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  upon  which 
the  hunt  is  taking  place.      The   Kablunak   is  shown  in 
a  somewhat  intoxicated   condition   and  as   being  lightly 
clad,  but  as  a  whole  the  picture  is  quite  instructive.     An- 
other picture,  drawn  from  memory  by  Tungvingva,  rep- 
resents the  steam  sealer  Kile.      It  was  one   of  her  first 
attempts  to  draw  with  a  pencil,  and  is  quite  creditable. 
Still    another   drawing    by     Tungvingva    represents    two 
white  men.     As  they  have  their  hair  cut,  instead  of  wear- 
ing it  long  like  the  natives,  she  has  simply  represented 
them  as  bald-headed,  and  has  thereby  caused  the  ears  to 
stand  out  rather  more  prominently  from   the  fine  heads 
than  their  owners  would  desire. 

Kolotengva  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  knowledge  and 
inventions  of  the  Kablunak,  and  was  glad  to  adopt  and 
recommend  to  the  tribe  any  of  our  customs  or  methods 


INTELLIGENCE,   RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    423 

that  could  be  made  /  practical  use  in  the  conditions 
under  ,,'hich  they  lived.  He  was  the  first  to  provide  him- 
self with  pockets  in  his  seal-skin  coat.  He  found  them 
a  great  convenience,  and  his  example  was  soon  followed 
by  many  of  the  other  young  men. 

Koloter  -  va  had  a  comrade  whom  he  liked  better  than 
he  did  mo ,«,  of  the  others.  This  was  Kudla.  I  do  not 
kno-  a  better  description  of  these  two  than  "hurragut- 
ter."  '  Wherever  anything  was  going  on  they  were  inva- 
riably to  be  found.  They  were  always  full  of  fun,  and 
were  sure  to  do  something  very  comical. 

In  July,  1894,  I  was  accidentally  present  when  Kolo- 
tengva  and  Kudla  returned  from  a  reindeer  hunt.  While 
talking  with  them  I  noticed  that  the  former's  face  and 
hands  were  so  thickly  covered  with  mosquito  bites  as  to 
give  him  the  appearance  of  having  had  the  smallpox, 
while  the  latter  was  entirely  free  from  such  marks.  When 
Kudla  perceived  that  I  was  going  to  speak  about  it  he 
forestalled  me  vrith  the  remark,  made  very  seriously  and 
with  an  assumption  of  superiority,  that  the  mosquitoes 
had  troubled  little  Kolotengva  very  badly  while  he  was 
asleep  at  night,  but  as  for  himself  the  insects  did  not 
dare  to  attack  him.  "  And  why  .?  "  continued  Kolotengva 
immediately,  "  because  even  the  mosquitoes  refuse  the 
miserable  stuff  that  is  flowing  through  your  veins."  This 
is  only  a  specimen  of  the  satirical  fun  and  repartee  of 
which  these  young  fellows  were  masters. 

If  possible  a  still  more  pronounced  hurrah  boy  was 
Kaschu.  He  was  about  thirty  years  old  and  was  as  lively 
as  a  cricket.    His  tace,  which  was  broad  and  round,  looked 

^  Hurragutter,  literally  translated  would  be  "hurrah  boys."    It  is  equivalent 
to  our  terms  "  one  of  the  boys,"  "  a  gay  boy,"  or  "  a  jolly  fellow." 


i  ■  U 


li'iii!iii: 


ni¥ 


1 1  I'll 


424 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


as  if  it  had  been  hastily  cut  out  of  a  piece  of  timber  by  a 
wood-carver.  When  he  was  perfectly  happy  he  laughed  so 
heartily  as  to  stretch  his  mouth  from  ear  to  ear  and  shut 
both  his  eyes.  If  for  any  reason  he  considered  himself  in 
danger  he  invariably  closed  one  eye.  His  physical  endur- 
ance was  almost  unlimited,  and  it  would  be  extremely  dif- 
ficult to  find  a  travelling  companion  more  energetic  and  at 
the  same  time  more  genial. 

Kaschu  pitched  his  tent  near  the  winter  quarters  of  the 
second  Peary  expedition,  and  remained  there  for  a  long 
time.     Every   morning,  even   after  it   had   become  very 
cold,  he  could  be  seen,  without  a  stitch  of  clothing,  vvalk- 
mg  around  and    taking  his  weather  observation   for  the 
day.     When  the  white  men  had  any  amusements  in  pro- 
gress Kaschu  never  failed  to  be  with  us.     When  we  were 
running  on  ski,  on  the  hills  back  of  the  house,  he  accom- 
panied   us,  and    in    time    he    became  quite  a  skilful   ski 
runner,    though    his   appearance   was   far  from    elegant. 
When  running  fast  he  iuade  the  most  frightful  faces^^and 
when  at  full  speed  he  believed  that  he  was  in  great  peril 
and  always  closed  one  of  his  eyes. 

As  I  have  commenced  giving  biographical  sketches  I 
will  add  a  few  more  of  some  of  the  typical  members  of 
the  tribe. 

Among  the  very  old  people  there  were  the  parents  of 
Kaschu,  Arodoksua  and  Migibsungua.  As  an  indication 
that  the  old  man  knows  something  of  the  laws  of  health, 
't  may  be  stated  that  since  he  ceased  hunting  he  takes 
exercise  every  forenoon  by  walking  for  a  long  distance  on 
the  ocean  ice,  pushing  his  empty  sledge  in  front  of  him. 
Recently  he  has  suffenjd  considerably  from  rheumatism. 
His  wife  is  quite  well,  and  her  tongue  is  active  from  earlv 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS  425 
in  the  morning  until  late  at  night.  When  strangers  are 
present  she  is  almost  continually  praising  her  m'ltchless 
son,  Kaschu.  Her  other  son,  the  half-witted  Aningana, 
she  seldom  mentions,  but  she  represents  Kaschu  as  L 
wonderful  boy.  When  she  describes  him  as  a  fine-look 
mg  fellow,  one  who  is  familar  with  his  wooden  head  hi 
large  mouth,  and  his  half-closed  eyes  can  hardly  keep 
from  laughing. 

Among  the  most  worthy  of  the  married  couples  of 
the  tribe  should  be  named  Ingapaddu  and  Ituschaksui, 
the  parents  of  Tungvingva.  They  have  six  children,  the' 
largest  number  in  one  family  within  the  memory  of  the 
oldest  member  of  the  tribe.  Ituschaksui  is  a  good  mother, 
and^  looks  carefully  after  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  her 
family.  I  have  seen  her  go  out  on  the  ice  for  more  than 
a  mile  to  tell  two  of  her  younger  children,  who  were  play- 
mg  there,  that  it  was  growing  cold  and  they  should  have 
some  covering  on  their  hands. 

Ituschaksui  has  two  younger  brothers,  both  of  whom 
are  married.  Their  names  are  Aseio  and  Panikpa. 
Like  their  sister,  they  are  highly  gifted,  particularly  Aseio,* 
whose  pale,  narrow  face  and  large,  thoughtful  eyes  are  the 
outward  signs  of  a  clear  intellect  and  quick  perceptions. 
He  is,  however,  not  very  strong,  and  for  this  reason  his 
wife,  Anavi,  has  often  been  obliged  to  perform  the  kinds 
of  work  that  usually  fall  to  the  men.  So  she  has  turned 
into  somewhat  of  an  Amazon.  She  can  drive  a  sledge- 
team  witli  suprising  dexterity  and  ply  the  whip  with  as 
much  strength  and  persistence  as  any  ordinary  man. 

Fanikf.a  is  of  a  rather  retiring  and  philosophical  nature. 
He  prefers  to  have  his  tent  or  winter  hut  in  a  lonely  place 
where  people  do  not  pass  daily,  and  where  he,  with  his 


1 

1 

Pll 

*_'  1 

i''i"' 

II? 

i 

yi  i  1 

HI 

! 

%ii 


-'i  i 


I 


■'Si"' 


r 

.f  1 

si 

! 

K 


I ,( 


'!>- 


1>        J 


i         I 


i 


I'  ^i 
■,'  (IP 


426 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


wife  and  their  small  children,  can  enjoy  life  in  a  peaceful 
and  quiet  manner.  I  have  had  many  long  conversations 
with  Panikpa,  and  he  always  seized  the  opportunity  to 
make  inquiries  in  regard  to  foreign  lands.  His  faith  in 
the  Kablunak  is  very  great,  and  he  has  a  strong  desire  to 
see  their  cities,  railroads,  horses,  jd  many  other  things  of 
which  he  has  learned  something  from  pictures  and  verbal 
descriptions.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  his  wish  in  this  respect 
is  ever  gratified.  But  even  now  his  horizon  is  more 
extended  than  is  that  of  many  a  peasant  in  ivilized  lands, 
and  the  nature  of  his  inquiries  indicates  a  very  thoughtful 
mind. 

Another  prominent  member  of  this  tribe  is  Kayegvitto, 
a  smart,  good-natured. fellow  who  is  taller,  and  probably  is 
also  stronger,  than  any  of  his  comrades.  This  superiority 
has  made  him  very  vain.  He  seems  to  have  formed  the 
opinion  that  he  is  really  the  leading  man  of  the  tribe  and 
that  he  ought  to  be  acknowledged  as  such.  He  evidently 
gained  this  idea  by  observing  the  conduct  of  our  own 
people.  He  observed  that  there  was  one  of  our  jxarty  who 
was  treated  with  great  respect  and  was  obeyed  by  the 
others.  Doubtless  this  awakened  a  desire  on  his  part  to 
act  as  leader  of  his  companions.  His  vanity  was  quite 
conspicuous,  as  there  was  no  trace  of  it  in  any  other 
member  of  the  tribe.  His  comrades  treat  the  matter  as 
a  sort  of  a  joke,  smile,  and  say  something  equivalent  to 
"  Kayegvitto  —  yes,  poor  fellow,  he  is  a  little  off." 

On  one  occasion  this  vanity  on  the  part  of  Kayegvitto 
proved  of  great  benefit  to  our  party.  This  was  about  the 
middle  of  winter,  when  the  second  Peary  expedition  was 
at  the  north.  The  supply  of  food  for  our  large  num- 
ber of  dogs  had  become  greatly  reduced.     We  had  heard 


peaceful 
jrsations 
unity  to 
faith  in 
iesire  to 
hings  of 
d  verbal 
i  respect 
is  more 
d  lands, 
3Ughtful 

^egvitto, 
ibably  is 
Deriority 
ncd  the 
"ibe  and 
/idently 
iiir  own 
rty  who 
by  the 
part  to 
IS  quite 
y  other 
atter  as 
ilent  to 

^'egvitto 
)()ut  the 
ion  was 
e  num- 
d  heard 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    427 

that  Kayegvitto  had  a  considerable  quantity  of  meat  at 
the  colony  Nachsa,  on  the  south  side  of  Whale  Sound 
It  was  decided  that  I  should  go  there  and  try  to  obtain  a 
supply.  I  set  out  and  on  the  following  day  reached  the 
colony  while  the  moon  was  shining.  I  was  received  at 
the  shore  by  all  the  male  inhabitants,  prominent  among 
whom  was  Kayegvitto.  No  sooner  did  the  latter  see 
that  It  was  a  Kablunak  who  had  come  to  pay  them  a  visit 
than  he  shot  into  his  hut  like  an  arrow,  but  he  soon  re- 
turned, clad  in  an  old  and  well-Morn  coat  that  he  had 
obtained  the  previous  autumn  by  trade  from  one  of  the 
members  of  the  expedition.  This,  he  appeared  to  think 
gave  him  a  sufficient  degree  of  dignity  to  enable  him  to 
represent  his  "subjects"  in  proper  manner. 

I  at  once  walked  up  to  him,  took  his  hand,  and  shook 
It  very    hard.     The    ceremony    of  shaking  hands  is  not 
customary  among  the  Eskimos  of  this  tribe,  but  they  had 
learned    its   meaning,  and    in  this  case  it  appeared  very 
flattering    to    Kayeg^•itto.     I    then  explained  to  him  my 
errand,  telling  him   that   Peary,   the  great   master  (nale- 
gaksuak)  from  the  distant  land,  wanted  meat  for  his  hungry 
dogs,  and   that  I  had  come  to  ask  Kayegvitto,  the  great 
master  of  the  Innuits.  to  supply  him.     I  said  that  Kayeg- 
vitto had  a  good  deal  of  meat,  he  was  a  great  hunter,  and 
that  only  he  was  nalegaksuak  of  the  Innuits.     The  last 
sentence  was  highly  pleasing  to  the  person  to  whom  it 
was  addressed.     Me  repeated  it  several  times,  and  then 
invited  me  to  spend  the  night  at  his  home,  an  invitation 
which,  of  course,  was  promptly  accepted. 

On  the  following  morning  a  conference  was  held  to 
discuss  the  matter  of  giving  me  the  supplies  for  which  I 
had  asked.     After  I  had  for  a  rot.plo  of  times  called  this 


.^'J 


^ti: 


ij 


f 


'I  III 


r  t  i 


k 


II 


14 


'  »>  iti 


ti 


428 


ACHOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


lieavy,  coarsely  built  man  the  great  master  of  the  Innuits, 
Kayegvitto,  with  an  air  of  superiority  that  was  indescrib- 
ably ludicrous,  ordered  his  companions  to  fill  my  sledge 
with  meat.  Once  in  a  while  he  would  assist  in  the  work 
by  graciously  picking  out  for  me  the  larger  pieces  of  meat. 
The  Eskimos  who,  for  the  occasion,  had  voluntarily  con- 
descended to  be  the  subjects  of  Kayegvitto,  heartily  en- 
joyed the  whole  affair,  and  were  good-natured  enough  to 
continue  the  comedy  to  the  end. 

When  the  meat  was  loaded  Kayegvitto  received  a 
suitable  present,  which  apparently  he  had  not  expected, 
and  I  left  the  great  man  standing  in  the  moonlight,  still 
dressed  in  his  thin  coat,  although  the  temperature  was 
something  like  minus  40°  Celsius. 

In  this  tribe  there  is  a  little  orpha;  boy  whose  name  is 
Kadluktu.     He  lived  for  a  long  time  at  our  winter  house, 
under  Matt  s  berth,  and  was  well  fed  with  the  remnants 
of  our   meals.     He  was  a  nice  and  bright   little   fellow, 
and  we  took  quite  an  interest  in  him.     Matt,  especially, 
seemed  to  have  an  almost  fatherly  care  for   him.     First 
he  gave  him  a  thorough  washing  over   his  whole  body. 
Then    he   employed  a  couple  of   old  women  to  free  his 
clothes    from   dirt   and    vermin,    an    operation    that   was 
greatly  needed.     When  these  things  had  been  done,  he 
cut  the  boy's  hair  as  close  as  that  of  a  seal ;  and  as  far 
as  outward  appearance  could  go,  Kadluktu  was  civilized. 
The  little  fellow  has  no   steady  home.     He  lives  some- 
times with    one   family  and  at  others  with    another,  but 
wherever  he  goes  he  is  always  treated  kindly. 

Kaoni  is  the  name  of  a  queer  fellow  who  has  a  large 
wife  and  four  children.  I  suspect  that  he  is  a  bit  hen- 
pecked.    At   the   colonies   which    Kaoni   visits   there   is 


sledge 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    429 

always  fun  for  the  inhabitants,  but  it  is  at  his  expense. 
He  is  extremely  awkward  in  everything  that  he  does,  and 
in  addition  to  this  he  has  the  unfortunate  habit  of  stut- 
tering. So  it  is  inevitable  that  he  should  be  the  princi- 
pal figure  in  the  funny  stories  which  his  neighbors  tell 
each  other.  The  following  will  serve  as  a  sample  of 
these  humorous  narrations.  It  reprc  .ents  a  conversation 
such  as  occurs  when  two  hunters  who  live  near  him  meet 
each  other : — 

"  Nukta  caught  a  narwhal  day  before  yesterday,  and 
Angodlu  and  Mahotia  each  caught  a  seal  yesterday." 

"  Indeed !  Akkomodingva  and  I  also  killed  two  seals 
yesterday.  Kaoni  was  to  go  with  us,  but  the  kaiak  he 
had  borrowed  upset  just  as  he  pushed  out  from  land,  and 
then  he  stayed  at  home."  [Long  and  subdued  laughter 
from  both  hunters.] 

"  What  did  Kaoni  say  when  he  came  back  again  } " 
"  Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-iak  is  no  good."     "  Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-oni 

either,  we  added."     [Again  prolonged  laughter  from  both 

parties.] 

On  our  last  expedition  we  took  with  us  an  Edison 
phonograi)h,  and  often  allowed  the  Eskimos  to  listen  to 
it.  Strange  to  say  they  did  not  seem  to  be  very  much 
impressed  with  this  wonderful  invention.  They  never 
for  a  moment  appeared  to  connect  this  apparatus  with 
anything  supernatural.  They  laughed  at  it,  and  seemed 
to  enjoy  hearing  its  hidden  voices,  but  evidently  looked 
upon  it  much  as  they  would  have  looked  upon  a  toy  with 
which  they  had  been  familiar  for  years.  We  expected 
that  they  would  regard  the  voices  as  those  of  the  spirits 
who  hold  a  prominent  place  in  their  religious  conceptions. 
Hut  their  keen  intelligence  seemed  to  immediately  make 


™ 


li 


■"*•- 


It' 


430 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


li 


t-  m 


'.    J'    !■ 


.-    X'v 


i'-- 


m 


t  ! 


■I 
■ 


^  1 '  l.-' 

T 

;^lr 

ft'  ■ 

1  i : 

'       Hw     , 

plain  to  them  that  the  phonograph,  Hke  many  other  curi- 
osities which  the  Kablunak  possessed,  was  a  wonderfully 
complicated,  but  otherwise  a  quite  natural,  product  of  the 
work  of  human  hands  and  minds. 

Most  Eskimos  can  easily  count  up  to  twenty,  but  in 
practical  affairs  they  seldom  or  never  have  any  need  for  so 
large  a  number.     When  they  refer  to  more  than  five  ob- 
jects they  usually  say  "  many,"  or  use  some  similar  term 
without   attempting   to   be   exact.     Sometimes,  however, 
when  in  tlie  long  winter  nights  they  sit  in  their  low  huts 
and  cut  from  ivory  small  figures  of  men,  or  animals,  or 
curiosities  of  various  forms,  they  try  to  count  them,  and 
go  as  high  as  thirty  or  forty.     They  count  on  their  fin- 
gers:   one,  atasuk;  two,  magluk ;  three,  pingarsut;  four, 
sissami ;  five,  tedlumet.     If  they  want  to  go  higher  they 
call  six  the  first  finger  on  the  second  hand,  or  igluane  ata- 
suk (sometimes  abbreviated  to  igluane) ;   seven  will  be  the 
second    finger  on  the   second    hand,  or  igluane  magluk, 
and  so  on  until  they  reach  ten.     Then,  as  they  have  no 
more  fingers,  they  begin  to  count  over  again  on  the  fin- 
gers  but  give  them  the   names  of  the    toes.     Therefore 
thirteen  will  be  three   toes  on   the  first   foot;  seventeen 
will  be  two  toes  on  the  second  foot,  md  twenty  will  be 
the  last  toe   on  the  last   foot.     If  the  Eskimo  wants  to 
count  a  larger  number  than  twenty,  he   starts  on  a  new 
man.     Twenty -one  will   then    be  one  on  the    new  man 
(Innuit  aipachsjani  atasuk).     In  this  way  the  count  can  be 
carried  up  to  forty. 

The  Eskimos  are  quite  ingenious  and  are  possessed  of 
a  good  deal  of  mechanical  skill.  These  qualities  are  par- 
ticularly exhibited  when  they  have  'occasion  to  repair 
guns   or   other  weapons  or  implements,  for  which  work 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    43, 
they  have  nothing  suitable  in  the  way  of  tools  or  mate- 
rials.    One  of  their  most  difficult  tasks  is  to  put  a  gun  in 
repair  after  the  spring  of  the  lock  has  been  broken      It 
may  be  a  long  time,  months,  perhaps,  before  the  owner  or 
any  of  his  friends  can  devise  a  remedy;  but  one  is  pretty 
certain   to  be  found,  and  on  some   fine  day  the  gunner 
may  again  be  seen  in  search  of  game,  with  his  weapon  in 
good  working  order.     He  may  have  been  forced  to  give 
up  the  old  lock,  the  spring  now  in  use  may  be  made  of 
ivory  instead  of  steel,  and  the  discharge  may  be  effected 
by  pulling  aside  a  piece  of  wood  which  has  kept  the  ham- 
mer drawn  back ;  but  in  spite  of  all  these  things  the  gun 
is  again  a  serviceable  weapon,  and  the  owner  is  able  to  do 
as  much  execution  as  he  could  before  the  accident  which 
disabled  it  occurred. 

East  of  Cape  York  there   are   several    large   moteors 
These  were  carefully  examined  by  Lieutenant  Peary  in 
the  spring  of  1894.     It  is   said    that  when  the    Encdish 
polar  expedition  under  Sir  John  Ross  visited  this  re- ion 
in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  the  natives  were 
using  pieces  of  iron,  which  they  obtained  here,  for  point- 
ing their  spears  and  harpoons.     It  is  not  easy  to  under- 
stand   how    they    were  able  to  hammer  the  iron    into   a 
suitable  form  without  heating  it.     This  method  of  working 
the  metal  was  not  known  to  the  Eskimos  in  this  vicinity 
until  they  came  in  contact  with  the  members  of  the  Peary 
expedition.     It  is  therefore  probable  that  in  earlier  times 
the    natives   were    able    to   use  only  a  few  flat   splinters 
which,   by   the   agency   of   natural   causes,    had   become 
separated  from  the  larger  bodies. 

The  Eskimos  are  careful  to  protect  the  feet  of   their 
dogs  from  injury  by  the  hard  and  sharp  ice  that  forms 


i?,f 


i"i 


I'i 


H  t 


'»''  i?r 


H'Mi 


432 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


upon  the  surface  of  the  snow  in  spring.  For  this  purpose 
they  make  socks  of  seal-skin,  which  are  tied  to  the  legs  of 
the  dogs  below  the  lowest  joint,  and  which  prove  very 
efficient. 

These  people  know  the  difference  between  hard  and 
soft  woods,  and  readily  distinguish  between  pine  and  fir 
and  oak  and  ash.  As  they  have  never  seen  a  livin<>-  tree, 
this  seems  quite  remarkable.  If  they  could  suddenly  be 
brought  where  they  could  see  the  mighty  oaks  or  the 
dark  green  pines,  similar  to  the  trees  which  have  fur- 
nished the  small  pieces  of  timber  of  which  their  sledges 
are  made,  they  would  shout  with  joy. 

1  he  Eskimos  have  a  good  deal  of  musical  taste,  but  in 

most  cases  it  is  so  slightly  developed  that  they  are  not 

able  to  catch  our  plainest  and  simplest  airs.     Still  there 

ire  some  exceptions.  •  Ituschaksui  was  our  most  advanced 

pupil.     We  succeeded  in  teaching  her  to  sing  several  of 

our  common  songs  correctly.     All  the  others  to  whom  we 

tried  to  teach  these  airs  would  introduce  many  false  notes. 

Still,  their  own  songs,  with  which  they  were  thoroughly 

familiar,  they  sang  very  nicely.     This  was  especially  true 

in  chorus.     Here  no  single  voice  made  itself  prominent 

among  the  others,  and  the  general  effect  of  the  singing 

was  quite  pleasing. 

The  religious  ideas  of  the  Eskimos  at  Smith  Sound, 
though  not  very  clearly  defined,  are  nevertheless  quite 
interesting.  In  this  small  tribe  we  find  a  shadow  of  the 
belief,  or  perhaps  a  groping  after  the  ideas,  that  were  held 
by  our  own  ancestors  thousands  of  years  ago.  In  reality 
we  are  considering  a  people  who  are  just  beginning  to 
emerge  from  the  stone  age.  They  are  an  original  people 
who  have  remained  in  character  and  in  conduct  almost 


'fi  i  ,j 


s  purpose 
be  legs  of 
'ove  very 


lard  and 
e  and  fir 
v'ing  tree, 
denly  be 
s  or  the 
lavc  fur- 
r  sledges 

e,  but  in 
are  not 
till  there 
idvanced 
everal  of 
/horn  we 
se  notes, 
trough  ly 
illv  true 
ominent 


sni"mu 


Sound, 
ss  quite 
V  of  the 
ere  held 
1  reality 
ninij  to 
people 
almost 


n^TEU.jaENCE,  JIEUGJOUS  IDEAS,  CUSIVMS    4.3 

Tof'The  nt7";  ""  "''"  "'  "^^  '^''^'  -^  -""f""-'" 
cles  re  to  t  ace  the  development  and  progress  of  mankind 

cer  a  :  '^T>  "  '^'°'"  "'  '"'''''  P^^'^  "^-e  assumed 
ce.tam   definite   forms.     The   doctrines   of  each  can  be 

stated  .„  a  few  brief  articles  of  faith  which  a     se    for  , 
."he  most  positive  terms.     But  it  is  altogethe    d  ffere 

undecided.     Upon  most  points  there  is  no  general  aeree 
-nt  as  to  what  constitutes  the  truth,  but  efch  indi  fdu  ," 
as   hts  own  ,deas.     These  take  a  very  wide  range  but 
they  are  mostly  in  a  shadowy  form.  ^ 

Probably  this  uncertainty  is  very   largely   due   to  the 
smal    number  of  people  in  the  tribe.     L  L-ge  sociede 
peo,.le  are  strongly  influenced  by  the  opinions  and  belief 
of  the  masses  around  them.     The  fact  that  millions  of 

to  ms  01  belief  a  very  strong  presumption  of  truth.     But 
"■here  the  public,  so  far  as  is   known,  embraces   only   a 

nnit  h!    7.  "f  '^"P'^'  "^  '"""^"^^  "P°"  "-  -dividual 
must  be  relatively  small.     And  where,  as  in  this  case,  no 

common  statement  of  belief  has  been  formulated,  the  pZ 

s^onal  e  ement  attains  a  still  greater  degree  of  prominence. 

My  opmion  upon  this  point  has  been  strengthened,  per- 

haps  I  might  say  that  its  truth  has  been  confirmed   by 

themrdvl""""""  ''''"'  '  '^^^  ""^  ^"*  "^^  "='^'- 
After  becoming  well  acquainted  with  him,  and  gaining 
hi  confidence  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  willing  tt 
Udk  with  me  upon  a  subject  which  is  one  of  the  last 
which  uncivilized  people  will  discuss  with  others,  I  asked 

28 


Wt! 


iff 

Ms 

ilil! 


ilt. 


■-if"    "M'' 


11 

1 

1  , 

t 

li 


;i 


'Ci 


IIJ 


i'.. 


I 


434 


AC J^ OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


Kolotengva,  '•  Do  the  Innuits  believe  that  there  is  a  life 
after  death  ?  "  He  repHed :  "  Yes.  When  an  Innuit  dies 
his  soul  (or  rather  '  shadow  ')  will  wander  to  a  land  below 
us,  where  there  is  good  hunting,  much  sunshine,  and 
everything  pleasant.  But  others  think  that  the  soul  goes 
to  a  land  high  up  in  the  air,  and  nobody  is  sure  what  is 
right.  We  Innuits  are  so  few,  and  there  are  so  many 
Kablunaks,  and  you  know  everything.  Tell  us  how  it  is 
about  this  matter." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  state  in  full  my  reply  to  this 
request.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  I  went  so  far  as  to  promise 
Kolotengva  an  eternal  life  much  happier  than  his  life  on 
earth.  No  better  consolation  can  be  offered  a  man  who 
is  troubled  by  the  thought  of  death. 

When  a  Christian  feels  the  cares  and  sorrows  of  life 
bearing  heavily  upon  him,  and  finds  trial  and  disappoint- 
ment his  constant  companions,  he  turns  in  prayer  to  an  al- 
mighty and  compassionate  God,  and  obtains  the  help  and 
consolation  which  he  so  sorely  needs.  With  the  Eskimos 
mighty  but  invisible  spirits  take  the  place  of  God,  and  in 
some  measure  compensate  tor  their  want  of  knowledge  of 
a  single  all-powerful  Ruler.  They  think  that  these  spirits 
can  be  imprisoned  by  their  angekoks  or  magicians.  When 
this  has  been  accomplished  it  is  thought  that  conferences 
can  be  held  with  the  spirits,  and  that  they  can  be  j^er- 
suaded  to  cure  sickness,  give  success  in  hunting,  and  aid 
in  all  of  the  various  affairs  of  the  daily  lives  of  their  peti- 
tioners. 

Both  men  and  women  can  become  angekoks,  though 
all  are  not  equally  well  adapted  for  such  a  distinction. 
Clearness  of  intellect,  dexterity,  and  a  talent  for  acting  are 
all  required  to  enable  a  man  to  secure  respect  as  a  magi- 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOiS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS  435 
cian  The  older  angekoks  teach  the  younger  people  who 
think  themselves  especially  qualified  for  the  position  or 
who  are  attracted  to  the  mystic  occupation.  The  time 
required  for  learning  extends  over  several  years,  and  dur^ 
ing  the  course  of  instruction  many  mysterious  ceremonies 
are  performed. 

The  principal  spirit  of  which  the  Eskimos  profess  to 
have  knowledge  is  Tornahuksua  ("the  giant  shadow") 
Accordmg  to  the  angekoks  he  lives  exclusively  upon  the 
land,  can  do  harm  as  well  as  good,  and  though  of  super- 
natural size,  he  has  the  human  form.  When  on  a  quiet 
day  m  summer  some  sudden  noise  of  falling  rocks  is 
heard  m  a  colony,  the  inhabitants  will  say  in  a  low  and 
anxious  voice,  "Tornahuksua!  Tornahuksua!"  They 
think  this  mighty  spirit  is  then  wandering  along  the  dark 
cliffs  of  the  mountain-side. 

Another  spirit  of  considerable  importance  is  called 
Kokyoia.  This  is  said  to  have  long  blacl.  arms,  and  to 
live  in  the  sea.  There  are  also  many  other  spirits  and 
mystic  beings,  but  they  are  all  of  an  inferior  order.  There 
IS,  as  has  been  indicated,  a  great  deal  of  superstition 
among  the  natives,  but  it  is  so  vague,  and  varies  so  much 
with  different  individuals,  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  note 
any  specific  form  which  can  be  said  to  be  characteristic  of 
the  tribe. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  how  manv  angekoks  are  to  be 
found  among  the  Innuits  at  Smith  Sound.  In  fact,  there 
IS  a  great  difference  of  opinion  among  the  members  of 
the  tribe  as  to  which  individuals  of  their  number  arc 
entitled  to  this  distinction.  For  myself,  I  do  not  think 
that  there  is  a  very  strongly  marked  difference  between 
the  magicians  and  many  of  those  who  are  not  fully  reco- 


\~v. 


I   ■  n 


'rsr 


■,^m 

0 

h   >'^l 


If  li 


M 


—  f : 

II 


M 


1    '      ft 


(,  ' 

It^ 

!• 

1.. 

1 

E 

t  m 

■« 

^ 

1 

il 


iil  l! 


!«(,i1 


It 


i^ll 


436 


ACT? OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


nized  as  such.  My  impression  is  that  all  who  can  show  a 
little  feeling  and  mysticism  in  their  songs  make  preten- 
sions of  belonging  to  this  class  on  every  occasion  that 
offers  itself.  It  is,  however,  one  thing  for  a  person  to 
pose  as  an  angekok  and  quite  another  to  so  appear  as 
to  inspire  others  with  reverence.  There  are  hardly  more 
than  a  half  dozen  in  the  tribe  who  are  really  venerated  by 
their  companions.  Of  these,  four  are  men  and  two  are 
elderly  women. 

The  youngest  of  the  four  male  angekoks,  and  the  one 
who  is  the  most  highly  respected,  is  Kayapaddu.  He  is 
about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  fat  and  smiling,  and  has  only 
to  put  on  the  blue  snow-spectacles  with  which  Peary  pre- 
sented him  to  very  closely  resemble  a  good  old-fashioned 
minister.  When. he  gave  his  spiritualistic  seances,  the 
light  from  the  train-oil  lamp  was  turned  so  low  that  the 
occupants  of  the  room  could  hardly  see  each  other.  Then 
Kayapaddu,  holding  a  skin  drum  in  one  hand  and  a  drum- 
stick made  of  bone  in  the  other,  would  go  forward  on  the 
floor  and  begin  to  sing  and  drum. 

At  first  his  song  was  low  and  quiet,  but  gradually  it 
would  show  more  and  more  excitement,  his  body  would 
sway  so  that  his  long  hair  would  wave  wildly  around,  and 
his  face  would  take  on  an  agonized  expression.  In  a  few 
hours  he  was  covered  with  perspiration.  He  pressed  his 
hands  to  his  forehead,  cried  and  moaned,  then  suddenl) 
burst  out  in  a  roaring,  almost  a  demoniacal  laughter,  and 
at  last  succeeded  in  making  appear  for  him  some  invisible 
spirits  of  the  lower  orders  that  he  used  as  messengers  to 
the  higher  powers.  Now  he  frequently  changed  his  voice. 
Sometimes  it  represented  the  voice  of  a  spirit,  at  others  it 
was  perfectly  natural.     He  became  more  and  more  noisy 


'¥'' 

..*' 

M 


D 

can  show  a 
lake  preten- 
:casion  that 
I  person    to 

0  appear  as 
hardly  more 
enerated  by 
.nd  two  are 

and  the  one 
Idu.  He  is 
nd  has  only 

1  Peary  pre- 
Id-tashioned 
eances,  the 
ow  that  the 
;her.  Then 
ind  a  drum- 
^ard  on  the 

>Tadually  it 
body  would 
iround,  and 
In  a  few 
pressed  his 
n  suddenl) 
ighter,  and 
ne  invisible 
ssengers  to 
d  his  voice, 
at  others  it 
more  noisy 


INTELLIGENCE,  I^ELIGIOUS  IDEAS, 


CUSTOMS    437 


and  demonstrative,  until  at  length  many  of  his  heare-s 
became  so  nervous  and  excited  that  they  tre--- led  with 
emotion  and  some  of  them  began  to  moan  with  him 

If  the  object  of  this  performance  was  to  heal  the  sick 
or  to  prolong  the  life  of  one  who  appeared  to  be  dyin^" 
Kayapaddu  would  sometimes  continue  the  exercises  for 
several  hours.     He  would  seldom  give  up  until  the  pa- 
tient  was  either  dead  or  improving.     If  death  occurred 
at  such  a  time  it  would  be  said,  in  favor  of  the  anoekok 
that  recovery  was  impossible,  as  some  hostile  spirit  had 
obtained  power  over  the  soul,  and  had  previously  stolen 
It,  or  some  similar  excuse  for  his  failure  would  be  mad. 
it,  on   the  olner  hand,  recovery  ensued,  respect  for  the 
magician  app-.ared  to  be  greatly  increased. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  natives  who  are  present  at 
these  performances  believe  that  the  spirits  are  really  pres- 
ent, and  that  they  negotiate  witli  the  angekok.  And  for 
my  part  I  dare  not  doubt  that  the  angekok  acts  in  good 
taith.  It  IS  often  said,  and  pe';haps  correctly,  that  if  a  lie 
IS  repeated  times  enouc^h,  the  one  who  tells  it  comes  to 
believe  chat  it  is  true.  There  can  hardly  be  a  question 
that  the  angckoks  are  self-deceived. 

The  belief  which  appea.s  to  extend  to  all  races  and  a.l 
parts  of  the  world  in  amulets,  or  objects  ihat  have  the 
power  to  protect  their  wearer  from  evil  spirits  and  giv- 
secunty  when  danger  threatens,  is  common  among  .he 
Eskimos  at  Smith  Sound.  These  amulets  are  often  nar- 
row bracelets  of  black  seal-skin  without  hair.  For  women 
necklaces  of  the  same  material  are  in  common  use  Pieces 
of  seal-skin  clothes  that  once  belonged  to  people  who  have 
died,  small  ivory  figures  of  men  or  animals,  and  various 
other  objects  are  also  employed.     The  amulets  are  conse- 


ii 


jhv 

if  ■  ^ 

ill 

iH 

mi\ 

Ml 

Ml 


:1! 


f  \. 


m 


■U  '   I 


% 


W^^'i^ 

'  i 

-1  ; 

i  . 
■{■■ 

4 

i 


I  I* 


I'M 


I'.i'  ; 


1'' 

^•.^"n 

,  flf« 

■«|; 

'    »> 

^    1 

l.iil 


«8  ^C/>055  NOHTHEMN  GRBBKLAND 

crated  by  singing  mystic  songs  over  them.  As  a  rule  the 
oUer  people  decide,  or  at  least  suggest,  what  objects  the 
ch,  c  ren  or  young  people  ought  to  select  for  the  purpose 

VVhen  an  Eskimo  dies  the  remaining  members  of  the 
fami  y  observe  niany  formalities,  in  order  that  the  soul  of 
the  deceased  shall  no:  feel  insulted.  They  are  not  to 
ment,or.  his  name,  but  must  cry  and  mourn  a  certain 
ength  of  t,me  after  his  death.  Thu...  who  have  touched 
he  dead  body  or  anything  belonging  to  it  n,ust  for  a 
long  period  observe  certain  rules  in  regard  to  their  cloth- 
ing and  diet. 

Before  the  body  is  taken  out  it  is  dres.sed  in  full  travel- 
ling costume.     Then  it  is  drawn  by  straps  through  the 
™try  „f   the  house,  taken    for  some   distance   from    the 
dwellings  and  away  from  the  shore,  and  is  well  covered 
with  stones      Often  the  corp.se  is  bent  so  that  the  knees 
touch   the   breast,  and  is  then   rolled  in  skins.      This  is 
done  to  save    the    labor  of   making  as  large  a  grave  as 
otherwise  would  be  needed.     The  house  in  which  a  death 
has  occurred  is  immediately  vacated.     If  it  is  ever  used 
again  it  will  be  only  after  a  long  period  of  time  has  inter- 
vcned. 

All  the  property  of  the  dead  that    his  friends   think 
coud  be  of  service  to  him  in  his  long  wandering  to  the 
;"Kl  of  souls  IS  placed  near  the  grave.     The  natives  be- 
lieve that  It  IS  the  ".souls  V  of  these  objects,  and  not  the 
material  things  themselves,  ,hat  will  be  u.seful  to  the  de- 
parted  m  his  long  last  journey.     And  while  the  .soul  i, 
going  toward  the  distant  sunlit  hunting  fields  the  bo,lv 
remains  ,n  eternal  :  ,eep.     Only  the  chilling  blasts  of  tlie 
wind  penetrate  among  the  stones  and  sweep  through  the 
faded  fur  coat  in  which  all   that  was  mortal  of  ,he  ,„,„ 
IS  cJothcd. 


\\\\ 


s  a  rule  the 
objects  the 
le  purpose, 
bers  of  the 
the  soul  of 
are  not   to 

I  a  certain 
ve  touched 
iiust  for  a 
their  cloth- 
full  travel- 
rough  the 

from    the 

II  covered 
the  knees 

This  is 

grave  as 

:h  a  death 

ever  used 

has  inter- 

ids   think 
ig  to  the 
itives  be- 
not  the 
)  the  dc- 
e  soul  is 
:he  body 
ts  of  the 
High   the 
the  man 


i 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY 

OF  THE   PRINCIPAL 

EARLIER  ARCTIC   EXPLORATIONS 

FROM  THE  NINTH   CENTURY  TO  THE 
PEARY  EXPEDITION 

INCLUDING  THOSE  OF 

CABOT,  FROBISHER,  BERING,  SIR  JOHN   FRANKLIN 

KANE,  HAYES,  HALL,  NORDENSKJOLD 

NARES,  SCHWATKA,  DK  LONG, 

GREELY,  AND  OTHERS 

By 

JOHN  E.  READ 

ASSISTANT   EDITOR   OK   Tliu   "COLLMRIAN   CVtLOPBDIA" 


m 


■^1 


't/a-  -ar- 


fp 

■i'^ 

r' 

M 

•1  ; 

|-1   ;  t 

i 

I      Rhi 


M  it 
:!|  in", 


'!! 


■1  Ft    I  I  ! 


Mi -I '. 


f    I 


^^i^  l^i^ni^c^ 


i  i  11 

4  ■  ; 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

PIONEER    VOYAGES 

Who  first  engaged  in  Arctic  exploration,  and  from 
wliat  pon,t  and  on  wliat  date  tlie  first  expedition  started  is 
unknown.  Pytlieas,  a  geographer  wiro  lived  in  the  time 
of  Alexander  the  Great,  claimed  to  have  entered  the 
I  olar  Zone.  He  ■  ported  the  discovery  of  various  re- 
gions, and  represented  that  he  had  "explored  Northern 
turope  "ven  to  the  worlds  end."  To  some  region  that 
he  v,s,ted  the  name  of  Thule  was  given;  but  whether  this 
was  Iceland,  one  of  the  Shetland  Islands,  or  some  other 
country,  cannot  be  determined. 

Whatever  may  have  previously  been  discovered,  it  is 
probabl..  that  in   the  middle  of  the  ninth  century  there 
were  no  hun,an  settlements  farther  north  than  the  Faroe 
Islands      It  rs  certain  that  at  this  date  the  Scandinavians 
were  a  hardy  and  restless  people,  fearless  and  persevering 
and  pos,sessed  <,f  an  ,nK,uenchable  spirit  of  adventure  and 
t  -n-s    for  discovery.     There  is    reason   to   suppose   that 
abouMhe  year  ,S6o  a  party  of  these  sea  rovers,  while  at- 
tempting to  reach  the  Faroe  .slands,  were  driven  upon  an 
island  which  presented  such  an  inhospitable  appearance 
that  they  named  it  Sn.nvlan.l.     A  few  years  later  a  party 
<if  Swedes  visited  the  same  island  and  gave  it  the  i„.me  of 

441 


- 

c 

1 

i 

1 

{ 

' 

J'l|, 

1 

III 

1^ 


1^ 


J  " 


!    '      h' 


fiilP 


442 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


Iceland,  by  which  it  has  since  been  known.  In  or  about 
the  year  874  Norwegian  adventurers  estabHshed  the  first 
permanent  settlement  upon  the  island  and  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  a  prosperous  colony. 

Previous  to  this,  voyages  in  the  northern  waters  appear 
to  have  been  undertaken   principally  for  the  purpose  of 
adventure.     But  in  890  Simon  Otho,  or  Other,  a  Norwe- 
gian sailor,  reputed  to  have  been  in  the  service  of  Alfred 
the  Great  of  England,  seems  to  have  engaged  in  a  mari- 
time exploration  which    had  a  commercial    end  in  view. 
At  this   time    the   Venetians   and   the   Moors   controlled 
commerce  and  shut  out  the  English  people  from  direct 
trade  with   7\n-key  and   India.     It  was  therefore  desired 
to  find  a  way  of  reaching  these  countries  without  passing 
into  the  Mediterranean  Sea.     According  to  ancient  rec- 
ords the  king  fitted  ou.t  a  ship  and  commissioned  Otho 
to  make  a  voyage  of  discovery  "  for  the  glorye  of  God,  the 
honour  of  his  kingc,  and  publique  goode  of  his  countrie." 
Thus  equipped  Otho  commenced  a  search  for  a  northeast 
passage  to  India.     Just  how  far  he  went  cannot  be  deter- 
mined, but  it  is  certain  that  he  sailed  around  the  northern 
extremity  of  Iceland,  and  that  he  was  the  first  navigator 
who  crossed    the  Arctic    Circle.     After   enduring    many 
hardships  he  returned  home  without  making  any  valuable 
discoveries. 

When  the  Iceland  colony  had  been  established  about 
a  hundred  years  it  was  joined  by  Thorwald,  a  powerful 
chief  who  had  been  expelled  from  Norway.  He  was  soon 
folhnved  by  his  son,  who  is  known  in  history  as  Eric  the 
Red.  The  latter  had  heard  of  a  land  upon  which  a  sail- 
ing party  had  been  driven  in  a  storm,  and  in  the  year  982 
he  started  on  a  voyage  on  which  he  discovered  a  country 


FJONEER    VOYAGES 


443 


or  about 
i  the  first 
:he  foun- 

•s  appear 
irpose  of 
J  Norwe- 
)f  Alfred 
1  a  mari- 
in  view. 
Dntrolled 
111  direct 
desired 
:  passing 
ient  rec- 
2d  Otho 
jod,  the 
3untrie." 
lOrtheast 
)e  deter- 
lorthern 
avigator 
5    many 
valuable 

d  about 
)o\verful 
•as  soon 
iv'xQ  the 
h  a  sail- 
ear  982 
country 


which  he  called  Greenland.  U  is  supposed  that  this 
pleasant  name  was  given  in  order  to  induce  people  to 
settle  there.  That  it  proved  disappointing  to  some  of  its 
visitors  is  indicated  by  one  of  the  early  writers,  who  said 
that  "  certainly  there  is  no  place  in  the  world  yet  knowne 
and  discovered  that  is  less  greene  than  it."  In  spite  of 
the  forbidding  aspect  of  the  country,  Eric  succeeded  in 
establishing  a  colony  which  soon  became  of  considerable 
importance.  The  Christian  religion  was  accepted  and 
the  church  prospered  to  such  an  extent  that  in  1121  a 
bishop  was  consecrated.  For  about  three  hundred  years 
thereafter  the  colony  was  strong  and  thriving.  iVt  the 
close  of  this  period  a  rapid  decline  commenced,  and  the 
church  and  colony  fell  into  utter  ruin.  The  causes 
of  their  disappearance  are  involved  in  an  impenetrable 
mystery. 

In  the  year  1000  Leif,  a  son  of  Eric  the  Red,  having 
been  told  by  a  visitor  from  Iceland  who  had  encountered 
contrary  winds  of  a  land  that  he  had  seen  while  on  his 
way,  started  on  a  voyage  in  hope  of  discovering  this  un- 
known region.  The  numerous  accounts  of  this  voyage 
which  have  come  down  to  the  present  time  show  consid- 
erable variation  as  to  details,  but  it  is  clear  that  the  party 
saw  Newfoundland  and  Nova  Scotia,  that  they  landed  on 
the  coast  of  New  England,  that  they  wintered  near  Plym- 
outh Rock,  and  that  here  was  born  a  child  that  in  all 
probability  was  the  first  one  born  of  European  parents  on 
the  American  continent.  On  account  of  the  great  num- 
ber of  vines  which  were  found,  the  country  was  named 
Vinland.  All  this  occurred  nearly  five  hundred  years 
before  Columbus  set  foot  on  the  New  World. 

In   1380  two  Venetian  brothers,  named  Zcno,  are  said 


id^:  ii 


I 


Ilfl 


444  EAJiLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 

to  have  saikd  to  the    nortl,  and  on    their   return    .iven 
nterest,ng  accounts   of   the   countries   which    t  ey^h, 
en  but  just  what  lands  they  reached  caanot  be  dete' 
m.ned.    Vanous  other  venturesome  navigators  sailed  upon 

obtaiLr  "'  ™'   '""'  ""    '"'^'"■'■•'"'   -"'^-^  -ere 

The  wonderful  discoveries  of  Columbus  i^avc  a  new 
-c^powe,  u,  ...petus  to  n,aritin,e  adventure^and  I.^ 
mt  o,  .  i  ,on,  tins  tn«e  on,  instead  of  the  roving  voyages 
of  n,div,duals.  cxpc.ditions  were  organized  with  4^t  cat 
often  under  the  authority  of  the  gtvernment  :fnh:?o::: 
<^^>   "hence   they  sailed,  and  were   comn,anded   by  „,en 

C  bot         v"     ; "",  '''■"'"■'"    """''■"•      '"    '496  John 
(-abot,  a   Venetian   then    living  at   liristol,  and  his  sons 

w  .-e  authonzcd  by  a  royal  patent  from    Henry  VI, 

t-nsland   to  sa,l  under   the    English   Ha,,  "to    .11   ,nrt 

countnes    and  s..s,  of  the  east.-^.f  the  Cost   and  r,' 

no.th,    and  as  officers  of  the  king  to  take  possession  of 

w  atevcr  lands  .hey  might  discover.     The  exploi^r      e 

obhged  to  furn,sh  their  own  ships  and  ec,uipment  a^d 

was    n  t   until    the   spring   of    .49;  that  'th'e   e.^p^ 

aitcd.     On  th,s  tr,p  John  Cabot  was   accompanied  by 

h.s  second  son,  Sebastian,  who  became  a  noted  e.vplore, 

Newfound  and  and  Labrador  were  discovered  som    ei.d  -' 

teen  months   before  Colun.bus  reached   the  n.ainland"  f 

Amenca^     ,n    H9.S   John   Cabot  received  anoth      con 

m   s,o„  from  the  king  but  for  sonie  unknown  reason 

clt  ^'"  "''■'    "^^  '•■•^''"''■"■""'  ---1  Sebastian 

C       t  too    comn,and  of  the  two  ships  that  had  been  pro- 
vKlcd.     There  ,s  no  doubt  that  an  effort  was  made  to  find 


turn  given 
they  had 
t  be  deter- 
'^iled  upon 
-  discovery 
suits   were 

ive  a  new 
md  explo- 
g  voyages 
?reat  care, 
the  coun- 
by  men 

and  also 
^96   John 

bis  sons 
'  Vll  of 
all   parts, 
id  of  the 
ession  of 
•ers  were 
It,  and  it 
'^edition 
mied  by 
explorer, 
ne  ei^h- 
iland  of 
er  coni- 
ason  he 
ibastian 
?cn  pro- 

to  find 


PIONEER    VOYAGES 
passage  to  ] 


445 


ia,  but  accounts  of  the  expedi- 


a  northwest 

tion  are  so  hopelessly  confused  and  conflicting  that^  it  is 
impossible  to  determine  the  course  that  was  pursued  or 
the  highest  degree  of  latitude  that  was  reached. 

In  the  year  1500  Caspar  Cortereal,  of  Portugal,  a  mem- 
ber of  a  noble  family  and  connected  with  the  court  of 
King  Emmanuel  of  that  country,  sailed  from  Lisbon  and 
explored  the  coast  of  Labrador  for  several  hundred  miles. 
The  following  year  he  made  another  voyage,  and  probably 
reached   Hudson  Strait;  but  during  a  violent  storm  his 
ship  disappeared,  and  no  trace  of  it  or  of  its  crew  was 
ever  found.     In  1524  France  sent  out  an  expedition,  com- 
manded by  Giovanni  Verazzano,  which  followed  the  coast 
of  the  United  States  and  of  British  America  to  a  latitude 
of   50°.     After   his    return    Jacques    Carti(M-   sailed    from 
iM-ance  and  reached  the  Bay  of  St.  Lawrence,  which,  with 
the  St.  Lawrence  River,  he  afterward  more  fully  explored. 
During  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  two  polar  expeditions 
were  made  by  the  English,  but  they  added  little  or  nothing 
to  the  knowledge  of  northern  regions  that  had  previously 
been  acquired.     Then  a  company  of  merchants,  said  to 
have  been  men  of  "  great  wisdom  and  gravity,"  fitted  out 
three  ships  for  an  expedition  to  search  for  a  northeastern 
passage  to  India  and  China.    Sir  Hugh  Willoughby,  who, 
though  he  seems  to  have  known  very  little  about  naval 
affairs,  was  considered  "  a  most  valiant  gentleman,"  was 
chosen  commander.     Instructions   for   the   voyage   were 
carefully   drawn    by   Sebastian    Cabot.     This   expedition 
sailed  in  1553.    While  off  the  North  Cape  a  gale  sepa- 
rated the  ships.     Willoughby  came  within  sight  of  Nova 
Zembla,  but  progress  northward  being  impossible  on  ac- 
count of  the  ice,  he  turned  back  to  the  moul    of  a  river 


"  .!;, 


II 


V'f 


f: 


I 


1 


WW 


I  > 


!    i      (If* 
^  ft 


J'  I 


4 


IP  • 


m  I 


|i 

■ii) 


M' 


m^ ! 


446 


EARUEK  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


n,  Lapland,  where  he  went  into  winter  quarters  with  the 
crev.,  of  the  two  ships  which  had  kept  together.  Here 
they  all  penshed  with  cold  or  hunger.  The  ships  were 
afterward  recovered  and  started  for  England  w^h  the 
bodtes  of  the  departed,  some  seventy  in  number,  but  they 

dead.      The  third  sh,p,  commanded  by  Chancelor,  reached 

the  VVlme  Sea.  The  crew  landed  at  Archangel  an<l 
Oldened  the  way  for  an  e.xtensive  conrmerce  betweL  E„,r. 
land  and  Russia.  ° 

In  1576  Martin  Frobisher  .sailed  from  England  in  hope 
of  d,seove„ng  a  northwest  passage.    Great  d;n,onstratio,,s 
were  made  by  the  people,  and  Queen  Elizabeth  sent  a 
gentleman  on  board  to  inform  the  crews  that  she  wished 
them  ..  happ,e  successe."     A  point  off  the  coast  of  South- 
ern Greenland  was  reached,  but  the  winds  were  so  con- 
trary  that  a  landing  could  not  be  effected.     One  of  the 
vessels  was  lost  and  the  eonunandcr  of  another  deserted 
the  e.xped>t,on  and   sailed   back   to  England.     Frobisher 
contmued  h,s  voyage  and  passed  into  what  is  still  known 
as  Frob,sher  Strait.      Returning  home,  he  carried,  with 
various  other  things,  specimens  of  minerals  which  were 
tested  by  various  parties,  by  some  of  whom  they  were  said 
to  eontan,  gold.     Great  excitement  w-as  occasioned  by  this 
report  and  the  queen  placed   Frobisher  in   comn,and  of 
another  expedition.     These  ships  brought  back  somehvo 
hundred  tons  of  the  ore,  but  it  was  found  to  be  not  onh- 
destitute  of  gold  but  absolutely  worthless.     A  third  and 
arger  expedition  was  soon  prepared  and  sent  out  under 
the  same  commander,  but  it  met  with  xarious  and  oreat 
cbsasters  and  accon,plished  nothing  of  marked  inrportance 


3sl»3 


PIONEER    VOYAGES 


4^7 


s  with  the 
er.  Here 
ihips  were 

with   the 
,  but  they 

with  the 
",  reached 
ailed  into 
">gel  and 
een  Enjr- 

I  in  hope 
strations 

1  sent  a 

2  wished 
'f  South- 
so  con- 

1  of  the 
leserted 
robisher 

known 
'd,  with 
'h.  were 
3re  said 
by  this 
and  of 
lie  two 
it  only 
rd  and 

under 

gi'eat 
'tance. 


-nar-ii^a^i/S^ 


— tr 

From  Justin  Winsor's  "  Xarralive  and  Critical  History  of  .\moricn." 
F'.y  permission  of  Houghton,  MifHin  &  Co. 

In  1580  two  ships  departed  from  England  in  search  of 
a  northeast  passage.  They  were  commanded  by  Arthur 
Pet  and  Charles  Jackman.  They  entered  the  Kara  Sea, 
but  soon  found  farther  progress  impossible  and  returned. 
Three  years  later  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  who  had  written 
upon  the  subject  of  the  northwest  passage,  secured  from 
Queen  Elizabeth  permission  to  make  a  voyage  to  America 
and  to  take  possession  of  all  "heathen  and  barbarous 
countries"  which  he   should  discover.      One  fifth  of  the 


■  J  ; 


I'  < 

■  t. ' 


Ih 


^'i 


f 

i  t 


h 


448  EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 

gold  and  silver  secured  was  to  become  the  property  of 
the  crown,  and  homage  was  to  be  paid  to  the  sovereign. 
With  these  exceptions  Sir  Humphrey  was  to  have  abso- 
lute authority  in  the  regions  of  which  he  should  take  pos- 
session.    After  two   unsuccessful    efforts,   the    first   from 
trouble  with  the  crews  and  the  second  from  bad  weather, 
he  sailed  with  five  ships.    One  soon  returned.    The  others' 
reached  Newfoundland,  and  formal  possession  was  taken 
of  the  island.     One  ship  was  sent  home  with  a  number  of 
the  crew  who  were  sick,  and  one  of  the  others  struck  on 
the  coast  and  was  destroyed  by  the  waves.     Only  sixteen 
of  the  crew  escaped.     The  captain  and  about  one  hun- 
dred of  his  men  went  down  with  the  ship.     Fogs  were 
heavy   and   food   supplies  were   becoming   scanty.     The 
crews  of  the  two  remaining  ships  desired  to  go  back  to 
England.     After  exacting  a  promise  that  they  would  re- 
turn with  him  the  next  spring,  Sir  Humphrey  consented 
to  grant  their  request  and  the  homeward  voyage  was  com- 
menced.    The  ship  on  which  Sir  Humphrey  sailed  was 
greatly  overloaded,  and,  encountering  a  hard  storm,  it  went 
down  with  all  on  board.     The  remaining  vessel  succeeded 
in  reaching  England,  though  in  a  somewhat  disabled  con- 
dition. 

A  company  of  English  merchants,  with  the  "  desire  of 
advancing  G  d's  glory  and  the  good  of  their  native  land," 
fitted  out  two  vessels  for  a  voyage  to  discover  a  passage 
to  India.  This  expedition  was  placed  in  charge  of  John 
Davis,  who  sailed  in  1585.  After  reaching  the  coast  of 
Greenland  and  following  it  to  a  considerable  distance,  he 
turned  to  the  west  and  discovered  the  strait  to  which  his 
name  has  been  given.  He  reached  a  point  much  farther 
north  than  any  previous  navigator,  but  storms  and  fogs 


s 

property  of 
2  sovereign, 
have  abso- 
Id  take  pos- 
first  from 
ad  weather, 
The  others 
was  taken 
number  of 
s  struck  on 
n]y  sixteen 
:  one  hun- 
Fogs  were 
mty.     The 
go  back  to 
would  re- 
consented 
t  was  com- 
sailed  was 
rm,  it  went 
succeeded 
abled  con- 

'  desire  of 
tive  land," 
a  passage 
fe  of  John 
;  coast  of 
stance,  he 
which  his 
ch  farther 
and  fogs 


PIONEER    VOYAGES  449 

were  encountered  and  the  ships  returned  to  England.  In 
1586  and  1587  Davis  revisited  the  places  discovered  on  his 
first  expedition,  and  reached  a  somewhat  higher  latitude, 
but  great  quantities  of  floating  ice  soon  caused  him  to 
leave  the  dangerous  locality. 

The  next  polar  expedition  of  great  importance  was  com- 
manded by  William  Barents,  of  Holland.     He  made  three 
voyages,  the  first  in  1594.    During  this  voyage  he  reached 
the  northern  point  of  Nova  Zembla,  but  could  not  proceed 
farther  on  account  of  the  ice.     That  he  was  wonderfully 
persevering  in  the  face  of  great  difficulties  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  in  trying  to  get  through  the  pack  of  ice  he 
put  his  ship  around  eighty-one  times.     He  returned  home 
and  the  following  year  had  command  of  another  expedi- 
tion, but  soon  after  he  reached  the  Kara  Sea  a  great  storm 
arose  and  large  quantities  of  ice  drifted  around  the  ships. 
Efforts  to  proceed  were  futile  and  the  weather  became 
severe.     At  this  juncture  a  council  was  held,  and  it  was 
resolved  that  they  had  done  the  best  they  could  to  carry 
out  the  instructions  under  which  they  had  sailed,  hut  that 
It  was  now  to  be  "  seen  that  it  does  not  please  God  that 
we  should  continue  our  voyage,  and  that  it  is  necessary 
we  should  desist."     They  therefore  resolved  to  return  to 
Holland   as  quickly  as   possible.      The  government  de- 
clmed  to  take  further  risks  in  the  matter,  but  offered  a 
reward  to  any  one  who  should  discover  the  passage.     A 
few  residents  of  Amsterdam  equipped  two  vesse]s,''one  of 
which  was  commanded  by  a  seaman  named  Rijp,  and  the 
other  by  Barents,  which  sailed  in  1596.     Early  in  June 
they  came  to  Bear  Island  and  later  in  the  same  month 
they  discovered  Spitzbergen.     Here  the  commanders  were 
unable  to  agree  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued.     They 
29 


iHI^ 


45° 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


ffk'' 


"   1 


li 


G   t 

> 

'  i  iiiif. 

1 

i 

'  :   ^        f 

therefore  separated,  and  each  followed  the  direction  which 
seemed  to  him  most  likely  to  lead  to  a  successful  issue. 
After  sailJM^-  ior  some  time  and  making  no  discoveries, 
Rijp  retuui  :[  \'.  Holland.     Barents  reached  the  northeast 
corner  of  .,   v  i    ^embla,  entered  a  bay  which  was  callec' 
Ice  Haven,  and  was  closed  in  by  the  ice.     Here,  with  the 
sixteen  me^  .,   his  crew,  he  was  forced  to  spend  the  win- 
ter.    With  a  quantity  of  drift  wood  which  they  found,  and 
some  planks  from  the  ship,  they  built  a  house.    Here  they 
suffered  almost  beyond  endurance.      An    entry  in   their 
journal  states  that  the  cold  was  so  intense  that  "  what  fire 
soever  wee  made  it  would  not  warme  us."    Often  the  walls 
were  covered  with  ice  and  clothing  froze  while  it  was  be- 
ing dried  by  the  fire.    For  eighty-one  days  they  were  with- 
out the   sun.     One  of  their  number  died.     During  the 
spring  the  weather  became  milder  and  plans  were  formed 
for  an  escape  from  their  dreary  abode.     But  it  was  not 
until  June  14  that  they  were  able  to  leave,  and  then  they 
were  obliged  to  go  in  two  open  boats,  as  the  ship  was  fast  in 
the  ice.     Barents,  who  had  been  ill  fc,  some  time,  died  on 
the  fifth  or  sixth  day  of  the  voyage.     After  enduring  great 
privations  twelve  of  the  crew  reached  Lapland  and  were 
taken  home  by  a  Dutch  vessel  which  stopped  there  on  its 
return  from  a  trading  voyage.     More  than  two  hundred 
and  seventy  years  later  the  house  which  Barents  and  his 
crew  had  occupied,  and  in  which  they  had  endured  such 
terrible    privations,  was   visited    by  a   Norwegian    trader 
named  Carlsen,  who  found  cooking  utensils,  tools,  books, 
a  flute,  and   numerous  other  articles,  apparently  just  as 
they  had  been  lett  when  those  who  had  used  them  so  long 
ago  departed  never  to  return. 

During  the  next  few  years  various  expeditions  sailed 


mm. 


PIONEER    VOYAGES 


'IS' 


to  the  north,  but  no  valuable  results  were  secured.     In 
the  year  1607   Henry  Hudson  entered  the  list  of  Arctic 
explorers,   and   in   the  four  voyages  which  he  sailed  he 
made  discoveries  of  great  importance.     The  first  of  these 
expeditions  was  sent  out  by  the  Muscovy  Company,     His 
orders  were  to  "go  direct  to  the  North   Pole."     His  ship 
was  small  and  his  crew  consisted  of  only  twelve  men  and 
a  boy.     He  passed  along  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  and 
examined  the  coast  of  Spitzbergeu,  but  after  reaching  a 
latitude  of  about  Si""  his  progress  was  checked  by  ice  and 
fog.     His  Htock  of  provisions  was  scanty,  and,  the  weather 
becoming  intensely  cold,  he  returned  home.     The  follow- 
ing year  he  sailed   again,   in   a  little   larger  vessel,   and 
hoped  to  find  a  northeast  passage ;  but  heavy  fogs  and  an 
enormous  quantity  of  ice  prevented  him  from  reaching  a 
higher  latitude  than  y:;' .     Upon  this  voyage  he  found  the 
wate'-s  teeming  with  whales  and  seals,  some  of  which  he 
hoped  to  capture,  and  with  the  proceeds  defray  the  ex- 
penses of  the  expedition.     In  this  he  was  as  unsuccessful 
as   he  was  in  the  main  object  of  his  trip,  but  from  his 
discovery    very    extensive    and    profitable    fisheries    were 
afterward    developed.     The  next   year   Hut.-,Mi  engaged 
in  the  service  of  the   Dutch   East  India  Company.     His 
report  of  this  voyage  indicates  that  he  followeo  his  own 
inclinations  more  closely  than   he  did   the  course  which 
his  employers  expected  him  to  pursue.     For  though  he 
started  northeastward,  he  soon,  under  the  plea  that  the 
ice  was  impenetrable,  sailed  to  the  west.     Continuing  this 
course,  he  reached  the  bay  upon  the  shore  of  which  New 
York   city   now  stands,   and   discovered  the    magnificent 
river  which    bears    his    name.     In    the    spring    of    16 10 
Hudson  sailed  upon  what  proved  to  be  his  final  voyage. 


fl'l 

m 


II.. 


Hi 


452 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


A  ship  of  fifty-five  tons,  called  the  Discovery,  was  fitted 
out  by  persons  who  believed  that  a  northeast  passage 
could  be  found,  and  who  chose  Hudson  as  its  commander. 
He  visited  the  Orkney  and  Faroe  Islands,  passed  near 
Iceland,  and  reached  what  is  now  called  Resolution 
Island.  From  this  point  he  was  unable  to  proceed  to  the 
north.  Turning  toward  the  south,  he  came  to  the  great 
strait  which  has  received  his  name.  Proq-rcss  was  ex- 
ceedingly  difficult  on  account  of  ice,  but  he  pressed 
onward  until  he  came  to  the  great  body  of  water  that  is 
now  knowr.  as  Hudson  Bay.  This  appeared  to  him  to 
be  a  great  open  sea,  and  he  believed  it  was  a  part  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  He  sailed  for  a  long  dii-tance  into  this 
great  bay,  but  the  Vvcathcr  became  severe  and  it  was 
necessary  to  go  into  winter  quarters.  What  appeared  to 
be  a  suitable  place  was  found  uj)on  an  island,  the  vessel 
was  brought  to  the  shore,  and  was  soon  fast  in  the  ice, 
and  preparations  were  made  for  spending  a  lop.g  and 
dreary  season  at  this  inhospitable  retreat.  The  crew  were 
greatly  dissatisfied.  Their  means  of  protection  from  the 
cold  were  wholly  inadequate,  their  supplies  of  food  were 
very  scanty,  and  during  the  winter  they  endured  great 
hardshij)s.  Hudson,  however,  seems  never  to  have  lost 
cournge  or  wavered  in  his  determination  to  do  all  that 
was  within  his  j^ower  ti-  bring  his  \  ;yage  to  a  successful 
issue.  Hut  in  the  s|)ring,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to 
continue  the  exploration,  a  portion  of  the  crew  mutinied. 
Hudson,  his  son.  several  sailors  who  were  sick,  and  the 
carpenter,  who  refused  to  remain  with  the  mutineers,  were 
sent  .idrift  in  an  opeji  boat  and  were  never  heard  of  again. 
A  careful  studv  of  what  data  could  be  obtained  led  to 
a  belief  that  by  sailing  across  the  great  ouen  water  that 


ji 


vas  fitted 
:  passage 
nmander. 
;sed  near 
.esolution 
:ed  to  tlie 
the  great 
was  ex- 
pressed 
er  that  is 

0  liiin  to 
irt  of  the 

into  this 
d  it  was 
reared  to 
the  vessel 

1  the  ice, 
loHLC  and 
:rew  were 
from  the 
bod  were 
red  great 
have  lost 
)  all  that 
%uccessful 

made  to 
mutinied. 
,  and  the 
•crs,  were 

of  again. 
ed  led  to 
;ater  that 


PIONEER    VOYAGES  433 

Hudson  had  discovered  the  shore  of  China  could  be 
reached.  In  161 2  Captain  Button  was  sent  out  by  Prince 
Henry  of  Wales  to  find  a  northwest  passage  and  proceed 
to  the  Asiatic  coast  Me  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Nel- 
son River,  where  at  a  later  date  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany established  its  first  station.  Here  he  was  obliged 
to  stay  until  spring,  when  he  continued  the  voyage  until 
he  reached  a  latitude  of  65°.  Then  he  turned  southward, 
and  after  touching  at  Mansell  Islands  sailed  to  England' 
Although  he  had  not  been  able  to  find  it,  he  expres'sed  a 
firm  belief  in  the  existence  of  the  passage.  About  this 
time  various  other  expeditions  were  sent  out,  but  no  dis- 
coveries of  great  imjjortance  were  made. 

In  1616  William  Bafiin  reached  and  explored  the  great 
body  of  water  which  has  received  his  name  and  which 
geographers  have  pronounced  "  the  most  magnificent  bay 
in  the  world."  He  passed  Lancaster  Sound,  into  which 
Parry  sailed  some  two  hundred  years  afterward,  and  dis- 
covered Smith  Sound.  His  reports  were  not  credited  at 
the  time ;  but  later  explorers  found  that  they  were  true, 
and  that  his  lunar  observations  had  been  taken  with  a 
remarkable  degree  of  skill. 

Several  other  expeduions  were  sent  out  ;.t  brief  inter- 
vals, but  for  a  long  period  no  point  was  reached  as  far 
north  as  Baffin  had  i)enetrated,  and  faith  in  the  existence 
of  a  northwest  passage  gradually  declined.  Then,  too, 
about  this  time  the  interest  of  explorers  was  turned  to- 
ward America,  which  became  the  objective  point  of  ni 
merous  voyages  for  the  discovery  of  new  regions  and  the 
establishment  of  colonies. 

Toward    the   close   of  his  career  Peter   the  Great  of 
Russia  formed  the  plan  of  sending  a  party  to  explore  the 


m 


•> 


1 1 


♦  '-^ 


454 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


northeastern  portion  of  his  dominions  and  find  at  what 
point,  if  any,  the  continents  of  Asia  and  America  were 
separated  by  water.  Empress  Catherine  was  interested  in 
the  project,  and  after  the  death  of  the  Czar  carried  out  his 
wishes  in  this  respect.  Aw  expedition  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Vitus  Bering,  a  Dane  wlio  had  become 
a  trusted  officer  in  the  Russian  navy,  left  St.  Petersburg 
in  1725  and  proceeded  by  land  to  Ochotzk,  a  distance  of 
nearly  four  thousand  five  hundred  miles.  Here  two  ships 
were  built,  and  in  July,  1728,  the  party  sailed  toward  the 
northeast.  They  made  various  observations  alomr  the 
coast  of  Kamtschatka,  and  proceeded  to  latitude  67°  18', 
when,  finding  no  appearance  of  land  and  fearing  the 
rigors  of  the  raj^idly  a]jproaching  winter,  they  returned 
to  the  port  from  which  they  had  sailed.  Here  the  weary 
months  of  the  winter  were  passed.  The  effort  to  reach 
the  American  continent  was  then  repeated,  but  was  in 
vain. 

The  final  voyage  of  tliis  great  navigatcM-  was  made  in 
1 741.  With  two  sliips  he  left  a  harbor  in  Kamtschatka 
on  the  4th  of  June,  and  on  the  i8th  of  July  he  discovered 
the  continent  of  America.  The  ca{)tain  of  the  other  shii) 
had  sighted  the  same  coast,  at  a  lower  latitude,  three  days 
before.  He  remained  in  the  vicinity  for  some  dpy^,  lost 
several  men  "vho  went  on  shore,  and  then,  with  the 
remaii^'e'"  of  his  crew,  returned  home.  Heri'ig  mad  "^n 
effort  to,  ,"(>Leed  to  a  higher  latitude,  but  wns  drive  :  i:tack 
by  a  violent  storm.  The  scurvy  broke  out  an^ong  the 
crex.  ,and  it  was  decided  to  return  to  Kamtschatka,  but 
OM  the  vvay  they  missed  their  course.  Several  of  the  crew 
hac'  died,  and  so  many  of  the  survivors  were  sick  tiiat  it 
was  al-ost  impossible  to  manage  the  shi]:.     logs  and 


at  what 
ica  were 
rested  in 
d  out  his 
:he  corn- 
become 
itersbiirg 
stance  of 
wo  ships 
^vard  the 
long  the 
-  67°  18', 
rin"  the 
returned 
lie  weary 
to  reach 
t  was   in 

made  in 
itschatka 
scovered 
ther  ship 
iree  days 
Ipy^,  lost 
,vitli  the 
mad  "'1 
ven  i.tack 
>ong  the 
itk.i,  bat 
the  crew 
^  that  it 
cgs  and 


PIONEER    VOYAGES  455 

gales  were  encountered  and  they  were  in  almost  constant 
fear  o.  bemg  wrecked.     In  November  they  were  driven 
upon  a  small  island,  which  received  the  name  of  the  com- 
mander of  the  expedition.     There  they  made  what  prep-' 
arations  they  could  and  went  into  winter  quarters.     On 
the  8th  of  December  Bering,  who  had  been  ill  for  some 
time,  passed  aw  ,y.     The  discovery  and  naming  of  Mount 
^.  Elias,  and  the  discovery  of  Bering  Strait,  which  proved 
that  Asia  and  America  were  not  connected  by  land  were 
among  the  fruits  r  \  this  expedition,  in  which  one  of  the 
most  meritorious  of  the  great  Arctic  explorers  lost  his  life 
This  was  followed  by  several  other  Russian  expeditions 
some_  by  sea  and  others  by  land,  by  which  considerable' 
additions  to  the  previous  knowledge  of  various  sciences 
were  made. 


I 


mM- 


,' 

if 

t 

1 

-  1 

i 

\ 

i,* 


i,i  ..- 


i:* 

i  '. 

IL 

m^ 

fl^ 


CHAPTER   XXVII 


INTEREST    RENEWED 


In  1743  interest  in  Arctic  exploration  was  revived  by 
an  offer  made  by  the  British  Government  of  a  reward  of 
/20,ooo  for  tlie  discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage  by 
way  of  Hudson  Strait.  Various  voyages  were  made,  but 
their  main  object  was  not  accomplished  and  the  results 
were  very  meagre.  In  1776  the  government  removed  the 
restriction  as  to  the  route,  and  offered  the  reward  for 
the  discovery  of  "  any  nc^rthern  passage  "  navigable  for 
ships,  and  also  added  an  offe  •  of  /5,ooo  to  any  one  who 
would  penetrate  to  within  one  degree  of  the  North  Pole. 
Among  the  navigators  who  attempted  to  solve  the  great 
Arctic  problem  were  the  famous  Captain  Cook,  whose 
course  was  blocked  by  ice  in  latitude  70°  20',  and  Sir 
Alexander  Mackenzie,  who  discovered  the  great  river  that 
is  called  by  his  name.  William  Scoresby,  a  noted  whaler, 
while  on  a  cruise  off  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  in  1.S06, 
succeeded  in  working  his  way  through  the  ice  into  a 
great  open  sea  and  reaching  a  latitude  of  81°  30',  a  higher 
point  than  had  ])reviously  been  attained. 

From  the  officers  and  crews  of  whaling  vessels  which 
re^  rncd  from  the  coast  of  Greenland  in  18 16  and  181 7, 
thp  i'M-itish  naval  authorities  learned  that  the  sea  was 
then  unusuu.;/  clear  of  ice.  It  was  therefore  ct)nsidered  a 
favorable  time  for  pushing  the  work  of  exploration  ;  and 
in   18 18  an  expedition,  under   the  com.mand  of   Captain 


INTEREST  RENE  WED 


457 


revived  by 
I  re\\'ard  of 
'assagc  by 
made,  but 
tlic  results 
moved  the 
reward  for 
^igable  for 
y  one  who 
Jorth  Pole. 
;  the  great 
•ok,  whose 
>',  and  Sir 
:  river  that 
ed  whaler, 
d,  in  1806, 
ice  into  a 
S  a  higher 

sels  which 
and  1 817, 
-•  sea  was 
n  side  red  a 
ition  ;  and 
f   Captain 


John  Ross  and  Lieutenant  William  Edward  Parry,  both 
of  whom  were  subsequently  knighted  for  their  services  in 
this  field  of  investigation,  was  sent  to  discover  the  North- 
west   Passage.     Tlie    two  vessels    with    which    they  had 
been  furnished  sailed  in  April  and  arrived  at  the  Danish 
setdement   on  the  Whale    Islands  in    June,     Here  they 
learned  that  the  preceding   winter    had    been    unusually 
severe.     After    various    delays,    and    encountering   great 
dangers  from  the  ice,  they  reached  a  rugged  coast  upon 
which  they  landed  and  which  they  explored  for  quite  a 
distance.     Proceeding  on  their  voyage,  they  followed  to 
a  considerable  extent  the    course  which   Baffin  had  pur- 
sued.   Various  sounds  that  he  had  described  were  passed ; 
but  as  appearances  indicated  that  they  were  either  bays 
or  else  were  impassable  on  account  of  ice,  no  effort  was 
made   to   explore  them.     On    the    30th  of  August   they 
reached    one    of    these    inlets    which    was    bordered    by 
majestic  mountains  and  which,  being  free  from  ice,  it  was 
resolved  to  exjilore.     This  proved  to  be  Lancaster  Sound. 
Vox  some  thirty  miles  the  course  was  unobstructed,  and 
the  officers  and  crews  were  hopeful  and  almost  confident 
that  full   success  was  soon  to  crown   their  arduous  and 
jierilous   undertaking.     After  proceeding  a  little    farther 
they  found,  much  to  their  disappointment,  the  appearance 
of  a  mountain   range  directly  across  th-ir  course.     The 
weather  was  tiireatening,  and  Captain   Ross  hastily  gave 
orders  to  return  to  the  bay.     When  this  was  reached  the 
western  coast  was  followed  for  some  distance,  and  then 
the  expedition  returned  to  England,  arriviiig  there  saiely 
in  October. 

This  failure  to  discover  the  passage  for  which  so  many 
other  na\igators  had  searched  in  vain  strongly  tended  to 


Vv 


m 


!-*>•       ;sl 


Pl     ^   ., 


I*'  'I 


P    u 


ft 


ti'JMi    I 


I 


irt    f 


4S8 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


•lj 

i1 

l1 

r 

1*1 

I'ii 


confirm  the  opinion  that  Baffin  had  formed,  and  many 
others  had  accepted,  that  from  Lancaster  Sound  there 
was  no  entrance  to  a  sea  lying  to  the  west.  From  this 
view  Lieutenant  Parry  dissented,  claiming  that  this  expe- 
dition, like  others  which  had  preceded  it,  "had  been 
relinquished  just  at  a  time  when  there  was  the  greatest 
chance  of  success."  After  a  careful  investigation  of  the 
causes  which  led  Ross  to  return,  the  government  directed 
Parry  to  make  another  voyage.  In  accordance  with  this 
commission  he  sailed  from  England,  with  two  ships,  in 
May,  1 8 19. 

I  he  ships   were  provisioned  for  two  years,  and  were 
well  supplied  with  whatever  was  supposed  to  be  needed  in 
such  a  voyage.     The  instructions  under  which  he  sailed 
required  the  conunander  to  make  as  thorough  an  explora- 
tion as  possible  of  Lancaster  Sound,  and,  in  case  that  was 
found  to  be  impenetrable,  to  enter  other  inlets,  if  open 
ones  were  found.     A  direct  voyage  to  Lancaster  Sound 
was  attempted,  but  when    latitude  ']i°  was  reached  vast 
masses   of   ice   were    encountered.     For   some    ten   days 
navigation  was   extremely  difficult,  and  many  times   the 
ships  narrowly  escaped  being  wrecked.     On  the  25th  of 
June  an    open  way  api)eared,  and  the  voyage  was   con- 
tinued with   but  lit'.le  difficulty  till  on  the  30th   of  July 
the  southern  entrance  to  Lancaster  Sound  was  reached. 
This  was  about  four  weeks  earlier  in  the  season  than  the 
expedition  of  the  previous  year  had  come  to  this  point. 
On  the  following  day  the  crew  went  on  land  and  found 
a  flagstaff  that  had  been  set  the  year  before. 

The  ships  then  passed  up  the  sound,  and  officers  and 
crews  watched  with  great  anxiety  for  evidence  that 
should  determine  whether  the  mountains  which  Ross  had 


INTEREST  RENEWED  459 

claimed  to  see,  and  to  which  he  had  given  the  name  of 
Croker  Range,  really  existed,  or  were,  as  Parry  firmly  be- 
lieved, only  imaginary.     The    point   at  which  the  range 
had  been  located  was  passed  without  obstruction  and  was 
found  to  be  a   splendid   bay.     Continuing  their   voyage 
along  the  wide  inlet,  which,  in  honor  of  Sir  John  Barrow, 
one   of    the  principal    promoters    of   the  expedition,  was' 
named    Barrow  Strait,  the  party  became    confident  that 
their  course    would    lead    them    to  an    open  sea.     They 
were  soon   disappointed    by   coming    to    an    island   from 
which  a  body  of  ice  extended  to  the  northern  shore.     For 
some  time  the  compass  had  been  losing  its  sensitiveness, 
and  at  length  it  became  entirely  useless.     By  this  it  was 
known  that  they  were  near  the  magnetic  pole;  but  the 
time  in  which  Arctic  exploration  could  be  continued  was 
so  brief  that  it  was  not  considered  wise  to  delay  in  order 
to  take  exact  observations.     Varying  their  course  to  avoid 
the  ice,  and  pressing  forward  with  what  speed  they  were 
able,  they  came,  on  the  2 2d  of  August,  to  a  strait  some 
eight  leagues  in  ^vidth,  that  seemed  to  be  free  from  ice, 
which    was    named  Wellington    Channel,  but  which,  for 
want  of  time,  was    not  explored.      On  September  4'  the 
meridian  of  110°  west  longitude  was  crossed,  and   Parry 
announced  to  his  crews  that  they  were  then  entitled  to 
the  reward  of  ^5,000  which  had  been  offered  to  subjects 
of  his  Majesty  who  should  first  reach  that  meridian  within 
the  Arctic  Circle.     In  honor  of  the  event  a  point  of  land 
on  Melville  Island,  near  by,  was  named  Bounty  Cape. 

The  weather  was  growing  severe,  the  nights  were  dark, 
and,  as  the  comj^ass  was  useless,  progress  was  slow  and 
difficult.  Still,  it  was  hoped  that  exploration  could  be 
continued   for   some   weeks.     But   only  four  days   after 


I 


IK  . 


l!f  I 


460 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


j<i| 


i"f 


m- 
u 


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crossing  the  meridian  which  they  had  been  so  anxious  to 

reach,  their  course  was  completely  blocked  by  solid  ice. 

After  waiting  about  a  fortnight  in  hope  that  the  barrier 

could  be  penetrated,  they  became  convinced,  not  only  that 

further  progress  was  impossible,  but  also  that  to  remain 

where  they  were  involved   great  and  immediate   danger 

that  the   ships   would  become  fast   in   the  ice.     It  was 

therefore  decided  to  return  as  far  as  Melville   Island  and 

attempt    to    enter    one    of   the    two  good  harbors  which 

had  been    observed  as    they  passed  a  few  weeks  before. 

Considerable  difficulty  was  experienced  in  reaching    the 

vicinity  of   the  western    harbor,  which    seemed    to   offer 

a  safer   retreat   than    the   other,  and   then  it  was  found 

necessary  to  cut  a  channel  more  than  two  miles  in  length 

and   wide   enough    to   admit   the   passage   of   the  ships, 

through    ice    that   averaged   seven    inches   in    thickness. 

This  difficult  task  accomplished,  the  ships  were  brought, 

on  the  26th  of  September,  to  a  safe  anchorage,  in  five 

fathoms  of  water,  at  a  point  near  the  beach.     Here  they 

were   destined  to  remain  until  August  of   the  following 

year. 

For  a  few  weeks  some  game  was  secured  by  hunting 
parties ;  but  as  the  weather  became  more  severe,  the  ani- 
mals that  were  suitable  for  food  migrated,  and  onlv  foxes 
and  wolves  remained  on  the  island.  Before  the  close  of 
October  the  mercury  sank  to  24°  below  zero,  and  it  be- 
came necessary  to  spend  most  of  the  time  on  board  the 
ships.  In  order  to  keep  hk  men  cheerful,  and  hdp  while 
away  the  long  and  dreary  period  which  he  knew  must 
elapse  before  they  could  leave  the  spot  upon  which  they 
were  practically  imprisoned,  Parry  organized  a  theatrical 
party  which  gave  a  performance  every  two  weeks  during 


INTEREST  RENE  WED  ^g , 

the  long  night  of  three  months  that  set  in  at  the  time 
this  unique  place  of  amusement  was  opened.     A  weekly 
newspaper  was  established,  and  served,  in  some  measure 
at  least,  to  take  the  attention  of  the  men  from  their  un- 
pleasant surroundings  and  keep  their  minds  active  and 
interested.     By  these  diversions,  and  by  the  regular  exer- 
cise on  the  decks  of  the  ships,  which  was  required  by  the 
commander,  the  health  of  the  men  was  well  maintained. 
During  January  it   became   very  cold,  the    thermometer 
registering  from  30°  to  40°  below  zero  a  large  part  of  the 
month.     February  brought   still  severer   cold,  55"    below 
zero  being  indicated  on  the  i6th,  but  it  also  brought  the 
sun.      March   gave    a   little   relief,   but   it  was   not  until 
the  last  of  April  that  there  was  a  rapid  rise  in  tempera- 
ture.    With  the  increased  warmth  birds  and  quadrupeds 
returned   from  the  south,  and  hunting    expeditions  were 
made  with  the  double  purpose  of  giving  the  men  exercise 
and  of  increasing  the  food  supply. 

During  the  first  half  of  May  the  ice  was  cut,  and  on 
the  1 7th  of  that  month  the  ships  were  once  more  afloat, 
but  until  the  2d  of  August  they  remained  locked  in  the 
harbor  by  the  great  body  of  ice  that  lay  between  them 
and  the  open  water.     When  it  became  evident  that  con- 
siderable time  must  elapse  before  their  voyage  could  be 
resumed.  Parry  and  a  party  of  his  men  made  a  partial  ex- 
ploration of  Melville  Island.     (3n  most  of  the  area  the  soil 
was  barren,  but  the   western  coast  had  some  vegetation 
and  a  greater  abundance  of  game.     Not  only  were  moss, 
grass,  saxifrage,  and  dwarf  willows  found,  but  one  of  the 
party  was  surprised  and  delighted  by  securing  a  ranuncu- 
lus in  full  flower.     In  June  the  snow  thawed  rapidly  and 
walking   became   very  difficult.     The    ravines,  too,  were 


I 


V  f  . 


'  s  >•■ 


i'lf   J 


■V 


J;; 

! 

.  ,1  >>n 

1 

i: 

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1 

J  t  i 


462 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIOyS 


filled  with  torrents  of  water,  which  made  them  both  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous  to  cross. 

On  the  2d  of  August  the  body  of  ice   by  which   the 
shipsjiad  for  so  long  a  time  been  imprisoned  broke  up 
and  floated  away.     The  voyage  was  resumed ;  but  on  the 
15th  of  the  month,  when  the  southwestern  extremity  of 
the  island  had  been  reached,  an  impassable  barrier  of  ice 
was  found.     Careful   observation,  fron,   a  hi,.h    point  of 
land,   led    to  the    belief  that  there  was  no  possibility  of 
advancn^g  n.  that  direction,  and  a  search  for  a  passac.e 
farther  to  the  south  was  decided  upon.      This  proved  un- 
successful, ai  A  the  expedition  returned  to  EncJand      In 
this  voyage  I'arry  had  reached  a  spot  more  than" thirty  de- 
grees of  ucst  Ic.ngitude  beyond  the  extreme  point  touched 
by  any  of  Jiis  predecessors. 

At  the  time  the  expedition  commanded  by  Ross  was 
sent  out  to  discover  a  northwest  passage,  another,  under 
Captain    Buchan    and    Lieutenant,    afterward    Sir   John 
Fi-anklm,  was  fitted  out  to  discover  the  North  Pole.    Two 
ships  were  provided,  and  instructions  were  given  to  pro- 
ceed   into    the    Spitzbergen  seas,   and,   passing   between 
bpitzbergen   and   Greenland,  push  directly  for  ^he   Pole 
The  weather  ^^-as  bad  and  the  ships  were  soon  separated' 
but  early  m  June   they  met  at  an   appointed   place  off 
Spitzbergen.     Learning  from  the  officers  of  whalincr  ves- 
sels that  the  sea  to  the  west  was  filled  with  ice,  Cm,tain 
Buchan  sailed  to  the  north  ;  but  before  passing  the  north- 
western point  of  Spitzbergen  the  ships  became  fast  in  the 
ice,  and  for  thirteen  days  they  were  carried  to  the  south  at 
the  rate  of  about  three  miles  per  day.     After  gettincr  f,-ee 
they  made  another  attempt  to  proceed,  but  ekrly  iifjuly 
they  were  again  imprisoned  in  the  ice.     Here  they  were 


0th  diffi- 

hich   the 
»roke  up 
It  on  the 
emity  of 
er  of  ice 
point  of 
bihty  of 
passage 
)ved  un- 
nd.     In 
lirty  de- 
touched 

3SS  was 
",  under 
r   John 
.    Two 
to  ]3ro- 
etween 
2  Pole, 
•a  rated, 
ice  off 
ig  ves- 
-ai)tain 
north- 
in  the 
uth  at 
ig  free 
ti  July 
r  were 


INTEREST  RENE  WED 

.       .  463 

detained  for  three  weeks      FurM^^r  «ff    ^    . 

vvccKs.     r  urther  ettorts  to  nass  nnrfh 

ward  appeanng  to  be  useless,  it  was  decided  to  gi  e  up 
0    Greenland.      Il,ey  were  soon  overtaken  by  a  violent 

r:  eL:;  t:  °r "'  ?"  ''^f-  "--^^  '^-^^"^  '-j--^'  -^  '^--- 

ecessary  to  proceed  to  Fair  Haven  for  repairs.  When 
these  were  made  the  ships  started  on  their  homeward  vov 
age  and  reached  the  Thames  o„  the  ..d  of  October 

n  order  to  increase  the  chances  of  success  in  the  effort 
o  learn  tne  real  condition  of  the  northern  polar  re<  fe„ 
a  party  was  sent  out  by  the  British  Government,  in  .sL 
o  pass  overland  and  survey  the  northern  coast  o   the  con 
t,,ren   from  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River  to  Be!^; 
Mra,       Th,s  party  consisted  of  five  persons:   Sir  John 
F.ankhn,  w  ,0  was  appointed  comnrander;  Dr    RicLd 
son    a  naval    surgeon  ;  George  Back  and  Roberf  S 
m.clsh,pn,en     and  John   Hepburn,  a  seaman.     They  left 

Fret:  ':":r'  -'-  v'™'°"^  ™-™=-  --^^^  ^»" 

Facto.y.  a  station  on  Hudson  Bay.  August  30.  Here 
they  were  delayed  about  ten  days  in  m.aking  necessa^ 
preparations  for  a  continuance  of  t'^eir  trio      Fn.ln 

nvPt-c;   n,i^    Ul  ,  ^     'Ji     I     LH    Ul  ip.        ^  OllOWma: 

..vers  and  lakes  as  much  as  possible,  but  in  many  placet 
finding   then-  course  impeded   by  rocks  or  rapiTs    tey 
eaced  another  st.ation   of  the   Hudson  Bay  Co„  p  ^y! 
called  Cumberland  House,  on  the  ..d  of  October    hav 
.ng  traversed  a  distance  of  about  seven  hundred  miles 

Notwithstanding  the  lateness  of  the  season   and  'the 
...creasing  intensity  of  the  cold.  Franklin  felt  that  a  par 

on  Athabasca  Lake,  or  perhaps  even  farther  north,    .here 

secuted.     It  was  arranged  that  Franklin,  with  two  of    .e 


^Tj 


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C/^I 


PhotogKiphic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WfBSTIR.N  Y    MSIO 

(716)  173-4503 


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464 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


party,  should  go  on,  and  that  the  other  two  members 
should    remain  where   they  were  until  spring.     Accord- 
ingly,   Franklin,    accompanied    by    Back    and    Hepburn, 
started  on  the  i8th  of  January  and  arrived  at  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan,  a  station  at  the  northwestern  shore  of  Athabasca 
Lake,  near   the  end  cf   March.      This  point  was  about 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  one  at  which  they 
had  left  the  remainder  of  their  party.     The  journey  was 
tedious  and  dangerous.    While  walking,  they  were  obliged 
to  wear  snow-shoes.     These  weighed  two  or  three  pounds 
each  and  made  the  wearer  feel  that  he  was  dragging  "  a 
galling  and  stubborn  weight  at  his  feet."     The  cold\var 
intense ;  but  as  the  mercury  froze  in  the  bulbs  of  the  ther- 
m.ometers,  its  degree  could  not  be  measured.    The  diffi- 
culties of   the    situation  were   increased  by  a  scarcity  of 
provisions,  and  terrible  suffering  was  experienced  before 
the  destination  of  the  i)arty  was  reached. 

At  Fort  Chipewyan  Franklin  and  his  companions  re- 
mained until  July,  when  they  were  joined  by  Hood  and 
Dr.  Richardson,  who  had  been  left  at  Cumberland  House. 
Other  stations  had  been  communicated  with,  and  nearly 
twenty  Indians  and  Canadian  boatmen  had  been  engaged 
to  assist  in  the  expedition.     A  little  after  the  middle  of 
July  the  party  started,  in  iiope  of  reaching  tlie  mouth  of 
the  Coppermine  River  before  going  into  winter  quarters. 
But  the  greatest  exertions  were  unavailing;  and  on  reach- 
ing  a  jjoint  some  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Fort 
Chipewyan  they  selected  a  spot  on  the  bank  of  a  frozen 
river,  where  they  erected  a  hut  to  which  they  gave  the 
name  of  Voxi  Enterprise.     Here  the  party  killed  a  large 
number  of  reindeer  and  prepared  for  future  use  the  meat 
that  was  not  required  for  immediate  consumption.     Two 


o  members 
;.     Accord- 
Hepburn, 
Fort  Chipe- 
Athabasca 
was  about 
which  they 
ourney  was 
ere  obliged 
ree  pounds 


raggmg 


a 


e  cold  war 
3f  the  ther- 
The  diffi- 
scarcity  of 
ced  before 

•anions  re- 
Hood  and 
nd  House, 
uid  nearly 
n  engaged 
middle  of 

mouth  of 
r  quarters. 

on  rcach- 
from  r\)rt 
)f  a  frozen 

gave  the 
d  a  large 

the  meat 
on.     Two 


INTEREST  RENEWED  c 

405 

m  and  Dr.  R.chardson,  on  land,  in  order  to  determine 
he  distance  to  the  Coppermine  River.     This  proved  to 
be  about  e,ghty  miles.     Both  parties  returned  in  saU 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
game  could  not  be  obtained  to  supply  the  con'pany  with 
food  durmg  the  long  winter  that  was  then  setting  i',  and 

that  had'r  '° '":;' "  '=°'"'""^ '°  ^"^^  °f  '^<^^''''-- 

sary,  and  hasten  the  delivery  of  provisions  that  had  been 
sent  up  from  Cumberland   House.     This  iournev  which 
™s  marked  by  c.trcme  privations  and  attended  b;  g    a 
dangers  of  vanous  kinds,  occupied,  with  the  return  trip 
nearly  five  months.     During  this  tin,e  Back  had  Jal^i 
more  than  eleven  ht.ndred  miles.    The  winter  was  exceed 
nglycold,  and  at  one  time  the  thermometer  indicated  5  ' 
below  zero.     Even  the  trees  were  frozen  through,  and  i , 

y.n,.  o  cut  them  nearly  all  the  axes  were  br'^k  n. 
December  the  food  supplies  got  very  low,  and  great  an.i- 
ety  was  felt  on  this  account;  but  about  the  middle  of  Ja„. 
nary  a  quant.ty  of  provisions  sufficient  for  more  than  two 
months  wa  reccved  from  one  of  the  other  stations.  With 
he  open„,g  of  spring  reindeer  appeared,  and  danger  from 
starvation  w.as  passed  for  a  few  months,  at  least 

As  the  weather  grew  milder,  preparations  for  the  on- 
ward  journey  were  begun.  Before  the  can.p  was  broken 
arrangements  were  made  with  an  Indian  chief,  who  Id 
been  w,  h  them  for  son,e  time,  to  bring  a  supply  of  pro- 
V  .s.ons  o  the  fort  before  Sopten.ber,  in  order  th.a(  if  hey 
returned  that  way,  ,hey  would  not  be  in  want  of  food  for 

30 


r 


' » 


I,f     J^- 


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ii^  ' 

'  1 

( 

. 

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}  » 


m.  .. 


i  I 


466 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


the  next  winter.     Early  in  June  tlie  first  party,  led  by  Dr. 
Richardson,  started.     On  the  14th  of  the  month  Franklin 
and  the  remainder  of  the  force  left  the  fort,  taking  with 
them  three  canoes,  which  were  drawn  over  the  snow  and 
ice  by  men  and  dogs.     Travelling  was  difficult  and  provi- 
s'  MIS  were  scanty.     Several  of  the  men  became  lame,  and 
in  order  to  lighten  the   load  one  of  the  canoes  was  left 
on  the  way.     Franklin  and  some  of  his  companions  fell 
through    the    ice   and    narrowly  escaped   being  drowned. 
On   the    ist  of  July  the   Coppermine   River  was  reached 
and  the  canoes  were  launched  upon  its  waters.     Naviga- 
tion was   difficult  and   perilous;  but  on  the  i8th  of  the 
month  the   mouth  of  the  river  was  reached,  and  a  great 
polar  sea  stretched  out  before  them.      On   tl.e  way  they 
had  secured  some  salmon,  and  als'^  'lillcd  several  musk 
oxen,  but  even  with  these  additions  their  stock  of  provi- 
sions was  small.     The  distance  travelled  from  Fort  Enter- 
prise to  this  point  was  three  hundred  and  thirty-four  miles. 
For  more  than  one  third  of  this  distance  it  had  been  ne- 
cessary to  drag  the  canoes  and  baggage  over  the  snow  and 
ice.     Yet  after  all  the  time  they  had  spent,  the  sufferings 
they  had  endured,  and  the  dangers  they  had  encountered, 
they  had  only  reached  what,  when   the  main  purpose  of 
the  work  was  considered,  was  the  real  starting-point  of  the 
e\])edition. 

After  a  brief  stop  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  the  party  of 
twenty  men,  in  two  canoes  and  with  j)rovisions  for  oiil)- 
fifteen  days,  started  toward  the  east.  Vox  four  days  they 
kept  near  the  coast.  This  had  considerable  vegetation, 
and  the  water  was  comparatively  free  from  ice.  They 
then  came  to  a  rugged  point  which  they  doubled.  In  a 
short  time  they  were  hemmed  in  by  the  ice,  in  which  they 


*  ii'f 


y,  led  by  Dr. 
ith  Franklin 

taking  with 
ic  snow  and 
It  and  provi- 
le  lame,  and 
oes  was  left 
pan  ions  fell 
ig  drowned. 
A'as  reached 
rs.     Naviffa- 
1 8th  of  the 
and  a  great 
le  way  they 
;veral  musk 
:k  of  provi- 
Fort  Enter- 
y-four  miles. 
;id  been  ne- 
le  snow  and 
e  sufferings 
ncountered, 

purpose  of 
point  of  the 

the  party  of 
ns  for  only 
r  days  they 
vegetation, 
ice.  They 
jled.  In  a 
which  they 


INl'EREST  RENE  WED 
,  467 

were  detamed  for  several  d^vc      q  ,    , 

canons  „.j;r;e  'z^^'irTT-^'  '- 

was  sent  on  shore,  in  hope  tlm  .„  El        'T^  ""'>' 

1^^  found ;  but  the  sDot  w-,<  T  "'"  ""■''«"  '^°"'^' 

me  spot  was  too  barren  to  bi-  InlnK;*,.  1 

-■en  by  the  hardy  natives  of  the  polar  regions  '' 

assn,K  alon.  the  coast,  they  came,  on  the'toth  of  Au 

^:"f:r::r ;:!- :;--r  ^-'""-- 

I^ord    Melvillo       Tl  ^^'      ^ '''"  ^''^^  "'-^med  after 

«"'ich  iy'L  b  5 ::::.:,'  "^^r '"'''''  ''^■^ 

bad  ecMKhtion,  thei  sto  k  oft  ■  '  '"'"''  """"'  '" 
hausted,  but  1  ttle  .^ncod  :?'"'"  ,"'"  ,"''™^'  ^■•^- 
approach   of  the   terrL  A    t'  '^'  *''"''  "'^  '-"'''''I 

3^.sta.ab,e  to.er '^i::-:;— ui:::::^!,^ 
-ywas„a::::ni,-,,;,:;:'^";',:;::;^-oreof.he 

i^y  111::  '4X"::,;::  t"  7^'" "  ■■"'"--■'^'^ '"  --•" 

and  c,in,iih'  L       ;j;:t;r  tf"  '''  '''''"'' 

;"^one,„„.h.edandfiftynnJ;:;;H      rp^^^^^ 
ere,  ,n  order  th.at  they  „,i,ht  be  more  e.asily  ca^ Z 

"  """"-"  "■"'■  '"-'^'  '■•<""  'l>e  larger  ones  which  they 


it: ' 


'it      J 


1  ^  ■•i1 


.1  H^f 


468 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


had  used  thus  far.  Other  preparations  for  the  overland 
trip  were  completed,  and  on  the  ist  of  September  the 
party  set  out  on  what  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
terrible  journeys  of  which  there  is  either  record  or  tradi- 
tion. 

The  party  had  proceeded  only  about  twelve  miles  when 
they  were  overtaken  by  a  heavy  snow-storm  and  compelled 
to  halt  for  two  days.  They  covered  themselves  with  their 
blankets,  but  could  obtain  neither  fuel  nor  food.  When 
the  storm  abated  they  renewed  their  journey,  which  was 
rendered  still  more  difficult  by  the  snow  which  had  just 
fallen.  The  boatmen  complained  of  the  labor  of  carry- 
ing the  canoes,  and,  after  a  time,  either  through  accident 
or  design,  allowed  one  of  ihem  to  be  broken  by  a  fall. 
As  it  was  injured  beyond  repair,  this  canoe  was  used  f-M- 
fuel.  Intense  suffering  made  these  men  utterly  reckless. 
In  spite  of  al!  that  the  leaders  could  say,  they  abandoned 
the  other  canoe,  and  even  threw  away  their  fishing-lines. 
For  three  weeks  the  party  made  what  progress  they  could 
through  a  most  desolate  region.  They  not  only  suffered 
from  cold  and  weariness  and  weakness,  but  most  of  the 
time  they  were  on  the  verge  of  starvation.  Iu)r  days  at  a 
time  they  had  no  food  except  a  nauseous  and  almost  indi- 
gestible species  of  lichen,  and  they  were  even  reduced  to 
the  extremity  of  eating  their  old  shoes.  At  length  they 
reached  the  Coppermine  River,  but  it  was  several  days 
before  they  could  construct  a  raft  upon  which  they  were 
able  to  cross.  As  some  of  the  men  were  too  weak  and  ill 
to  proceed,  the  party  was  comi)elled  to  divide.  Several  of 
the  boatmen  perished  from  hunger  and  exposure,  and 
Hood  was  nuirdercd  by  one  of  the  Indians. 

Back  was  the  first  to  reach  the  fort.     Instead  of  find- 


e  overland 

tembcr  the 

the  most 

•d  or  tradi- 

iiiiles  wlien 
compelled 
;  with  their 
)d.  When 
which  was 
h  had  just 
r  of  carry- 
h  accident 
I  by  a  fall. 
IS  used  f-M- 
ly  reckless, 
abandoned 
shino-lines. 
they  could 
ly  suffered 
lost  of  the 
r  days  at  a 
Imost  indi- 
leduccd  to 
Migth  they 
veral  da}-s 
they  were 
eak  and  ill 
Several  of 
osure,  and 

id  of  find- 


INTEREST  RENEWED  ^g^ 

ing  a  supply  of  provisions,  as  had  been  promised,  the 
buikhng  was  empty.     Leaving  a  note  stating  that  he  had 
gone  m  search  of  the   Indians  who  had  b;en  depended 
upon  to  furnish  supplies,  he  continued  his  toilsome  jour- 
ney.    Prankhn  and  five  companions  reached  the  desolate 
ort  on  the  i  ith  of  October,  and  nearly  three  weeks  later 
Ur  Richardson  and  Hepburn  arrived.     Old  skins,  bones 
and  lichens  were  used  for  food  until  the  7th  of  November' 
when  some  Indians,  who  had  been  sent  by  Back,  brought 
a  quantity  of  provisions.     About  a  week  later  the  journey 
was  resumed.    Fort  Chipewyan  was  reached  in  safety  and 
here  the  party  remained  until  the  following  June      The 
next  month  they  reached  York  Factory,  and  the  difficul- 
ties and  dangers  of  their  most  remarkable  journey  were  al 
an  end.  . 

The  fact  that  Parry  had  failed  to  discover  the  North 
west  Passage  was  not  regarded  as  proof  that  it  did  not 
exist.  Neither  did  it  diminish  confidence  in  the  zeal  or 
the  competence  of  the  commander  himself.  So  when  he 
expressed  an  opinion  that  by  commencing  explorations  at 
a  lower  latitude  the  desired  opening  could  be  found,  the 
government  placed  him  in  command  of  another  expedi- 
tion.  ^ 

In  May,  1821,  with  two  ships  and  a  transport  loaded 
with  provisions  and  other  necessities,  Parry  again  set  sail 
from  England.  The  entrance  to  Hudson  Strait  was 
reached  early  in  July.  At  this  point  the  transport  was 
unloaded  and  sent  home.  Strong  currents  were  soon 
encountered,  and  the  ships  narrowly  escaped  destruction 
by  enormous  icebergs.  In  September  Repulse  Bay  was 
reached,  and  found  to  be  clear  of  ice.  Leaving  the  bay 
I  arry  proceeded,  in  accordance  with,  his  instructions,  to 


pi 


I 


[in  'r.»-'' 


470 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


explore  the  coast  line.  This  work  was  continued,  under 
many  difficulties,  until  it  became  imperative  to  seek 
winter^  quarters.  These  were  found  on  the  shore  of  a 
small  island,  and  the  ships  were  soon  fast  in  ice.  Here 
Parry  adopted  the  same  means  for  keeping  his  men  cheer- 
ful and  contented  that  had  been  tried  on  his  previous 
voyage,  and  with  an  equal  degree  of  success.  A  party  of 
Eskimos  living  near  by  made  frequent  trips  to  the  vessels, 
and  the  officers  also  visited  the  snow  huts  of  these  peculiar 
people. 

It  was  not  till  the  8th  of  July  that  the  expedition  was 
able  to  proceed,  and  even  then  it  was  necessary  to  do  a 
great  amount  of  work  in  getting  the  ships  out  of  the  ice. 
A    little    more   than    a  week    later   they  approached   an 
elevated  region  which  they  hoped  would  prove  to  be  the 
northern  shore  of  the  strait ;  but  when  its  entrance  was 
reached  they  were  greatly  disappointed  to  find  an  impass- 
able  barrier   of    ice.     After   waiting    nearly   four   weeks 
in  hope  that  an  opening  would  be  made,  it  was  decided 
to  take  observations  on  land.     A  party  proceeded  to  the 
northern  point  of  the  peninsula  near  which  their  progress 
by  water  had  been  checked,  and   discoveied  a  strait  in 
which  there  was  a  strong  current  and  considerable  loose 
ice.     Returning  to  the  ship,  an  effort  was  made  to  reach 
this  strait,  but  it  proved  unsuccessful.     In  this  neighbor- 
hood another  winter  was  spent,  and  the  ships  were  not 
again  afloat  until  past  the  middle  of  August.     Several  of 
the  crew  had  become  ill,  and   Parry  reluctantly  sailed  for 
England. 

Soon  after  reaching  home  Parry  had  a  dangerous  ill- 
ness;  but  in  1824  he  was  ready  to  take  up  his  work  again, 
and  was  sent  out,  with  the  two  ships  used  on  the  voyage 


1  i 


vs 

:nued,  under 

ve  to  seek 
shore  of  a 
ice.  Here 
men  cheer- 

lis  previous 

A  party  of 

the  vessels, 

ese  peculiar 

)edition  was 
ary  to  do  a 
t  of  the  ice. 
roach ed  an 
e  to  be  the 
itrance  was 

an  impass- 
four  weeks 
^as  decided 
ded  to  the 
sir  progress 

a  strait  in 
rable  loose 
le  to  reach 
>  neighbor- 
3  were  not 

Several  of 
r  sailed  for 


!gerous  ill- 
i'ork  again, 
the  voyage 


INTEREST  RENEWED  471 

just  described,  to  explore  Prince  Regent's  Inlet,  in  hope 
that  it  would  lead  to  an  open  sea.  The  expedition  left 
England  in  May,  and,  after  encountering  many  dangers, 
arrived  late  in  September  at  the  point  where  they  had 
been  compelled  to  halt  in  1&19.  Near  here  a  harbor, 
which  was  named  Port  Bowen,  was  found,  and  Parry 
made  preparations  to  pass  his  fourth  winter  in  the  Arctic 
regions.  It  was  a  dreary  season,  and  in  some  respects 
proved  even  more  tedious  than  any  of  its  predecessors. 
On  the  1 8th  of  July  the  ships  were  again  free  and  the 
voyage  was  resumed.  In  a  short  time  large  bodies  of  ice 
were  encountered,  and  one  of  the  ships  was  so  badly  in- 
jured that  it  had  to  be  abandoned.  The  crew  was  taken 
on  board  the  other  ship,  which  at  once  returned  to  Eng- 
land. 

Three  other  expeditions  were  sent  from   England  at 
about  the   time   that   Parry  started  for   Prince   Regent's 
Inlet.     Of  these,  one  was  commanded  by  Captain  Lyon, 
who  was  instructed  to  make  a  more  thorough  survey  than 
had  yet  been  attempted  of  the  coast  as  far  as  Point  Turn- 
again.     Another  was  led  by  Franklin,  with  orders  to  pass 
down  the  Mackenzie  River  to  the  sea,  and  then  proceed 
along  the  coast  to  Bering  Strait.     The  other  was  com- 
manded  by  Captain   Beechey,  who  was  to  pass  around 
Cape  Horn,  proceed  to  Bering  Strait,  and  continue  his 
voyage  to  Kotzebue  Sound,  where  he  was  to  meet  the 
expedition  led  by  Franklin„     The  results  of  this  combined 
effort  were  very  meagre.     Captain   Lyon  was  overtaken 
by  storms  and  encountered  vast  drifts  of  ice,  and  when 
some  eighty  miles  distant  from  Repulse  Bay  was  obliged 
to  give  up  the  enterprise.     Franklin  and  his  party  passed 
the  winter  at  Great  Bear  Lake.     In  the  spring  they  sailed 


m 


472 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLOR    7 IONS 


i'li 


f  ;     .'. 


!   i' 


i     f 


down  the  Mackenzie  River  to  the  point  where  it  separates 
into  different  channels.     The  party  then   divided      One 
detachment,  under   Dr.   Richardson,  passed   to  the  east 
in  order  to  explore  the  coast  as  far  as  the  Coppermine 
Kiver.     The  other,  led  by  Franklin,  went  to  the  west,  in 
hope  of  reaching  Icy  Cape  and  meeting  Captain  Beechey 
1  he  former  party  accomplished  its  purpose  with  but  little 
difficulty,  and,  returning,  reached  their  winter  quarters  on 
the  ist  of  September.     They  saw  a  large  number  of  birds 
of  various  kinds,  and  at  one  point  were  greatly  annoyed 
by  mosquitoes. 

Franklin  and  his  party  had  a  much  severer  experience 
Unfriendly  Eskimos  made  them  much  trouble,  and  they 
were   delayed    by  fogs   and   storms.     By  the    middle   of 
August  the  cold  had  becon.e  severe  and  the  men  were 
suffering  greatly  from  weariness  and   exposure.     It  was 
therefore  necessary  that  they  at  once  return  to  the  house 
at  Great   Bear  Lake.     The  extreme  point  reached  was 
named  Return  Reef.     It  was  afterward  learned  that  Cap- 
tain  Beechey  was  then  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
away.      The  second  winter  was  passed  at  the  lake.      It 
proved  very  severe.     At  one  time  the   temperature  was 
58°  below  zero.     With  the  approach  of  mild  weather  the 
party  returned  to  England.     During  the  summer  the  ship 
under  Captain  Beechey  reached  the  appointed  place  and 
remained  as  long  as  the  weather  would  permit ;  but  as  they 
had  already  returned  to  England,  no  trace  of  Franklin 
and  his  companions  could  be  found. 

Although  he  had  been  repeatedly  baffled  in  his  Arctic 
expeditions.  Parry  was  not  discouraged.  Scoresby  had 
suggested  that  by  constructing  boats  in  such  a  manner 
that  they  could  also  be  used  as  sledges,  it  might  be  possi- 


INTEREST  RENEWED  473 

ble  to  reach  the  Pole  by  passing  over  the  ice.  Parry 
accepted  this  idea  and  presented  it  t.  the  attention  of  the 
government  officers.  It  met  their  approval  and  was 
proriiptly  put  mto  execution.  Two  boats  were  built;  and 
with  the  Hecla.  one  of  the  ships  which  he  had  previously 
commanded,  Parry  set  out  on  his  fourth  expedition 

In  1827  the  ship  was  sailed  to  the  north  coast  of  Spitz- 
bergen,  where  it  wa.  left  in  a  safe  harbor.     On  the  2od 
of  June   the   men  took  to   the  boats.     Three   days    later 
they  reached  the  ice,  but  it  proved  to  be  very  rough  and 
was   intersected   by  numerous   channels.     Progress   was 
extremely  slow  and   toilsome.     Rains  were  frequent  and 
there  were  heavy  falls  of  snow.     Dense  fogs  caused  many 
delays.     At  length,  finding  that  they  were  being  carried 
south  by  the  drifting  of  the  ice  in  the  water,  faster  than 
they  were  proceeding  north  on  its  surface,  it  was  decided 
to  return  to  the  ship.     This  was  only  one  hundred  and 
seventy -two   miles   distant,    although    they  had    actually 
travelled  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  miles.     The  most 
northern    .oi-  .  reached  was  82°  45'.,  which,  so  far  as  was 
■•\  was  the  highest  latitude  that  had  then 
-"•an. 

iin  Ross,  whose  voyage  in  18 18  had 
results  and  had  brought  upon  himself 
not  a  little  adverse  criticism,  proceeded  to  the  polar  re- 
gions in  a  small  steamship  that  had  been  placed  at  his 
disposal  for  this  purpose  by  his  friend  Sir  Felix  Booth. 
1  his  ship,  named  the  Victory^  was  commanded  by  James 
C^lark  Ross,  a  nephew  of  Sir  John.  It  was  the  first 
steamer  ever  used  in  Arctic  exploration.  Lancaster 
Sound  was  reached  in  August.  The  voyage  was  con- 
tinued to  what  is  known  as  the  Gulf  of  Boothia.     Here 


certai- 
been 

In    . 
been  so  b 


1 


♦        !■: 


474 


EARLJER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


'   H 


),ii 


I  -Hi 


a  sheltered  position  v/as  found,  which  was  named  Felix 
Harbor,  where  winter  quarters  weie  taken.  Wiien  spring 
opened,  various  land  journeys  were  made.  Not  until 
September  did  the  ship  get  afloat,  and  it  had  proceeded 
only  about  three  miles  when  it  again  became  entangled 
m  the  ice.  Here  it  remained  until  the  followinp-  An- 
gust.  On  the  28th  of  the  month  the  ship  was  again  free. 
But  the  wind  soon  arose,  the  weather  suddenly  became 
cold,  and  when  they  had  sailed  only  four  miles  they  were 
once  mo.-e  firmly  surrounded  by  ice.  Here  they  remained 
till  the  spring,  when,  on  account  of  the  failing  health  of 
the  men,  the  small  quantity  of  provisions  on  hand,  and  the 
great  uncertainty  as  to  when  a  free  passage  through  the 
ice  could  be  found,  it  was  resolved  to  abandon  the  ship. 

After  a  wearisome   and  dangerous  journey  the  party 
reached  the  spot  where  the  /^ioy  had  been  wrecked  in 
Parry's    third    voyage.      Here    they  found  a  quantity  of 
provisions  that  had  been  saved  from  the  ship,  and  here 
they  passed  a  most  miserable  winter.     There  was  great 
suffering  from  cold  and  illness,  and  several  of  the  men 
died.     Early  in   the    summer  of    1833    the    survivors  re- 
sumed their  journey.     About  the  middle  of  August  open 
water  was    reached,  and    the   party  took   to  their  boats. 
Twelve  days  later  two   ships   were  sighted.     On  one  of 
these  their  signals  of  distress  were  observed.     This  ship 
proved  to  be  the  Isabella,  which   Ross  himself  had  once 
commanded.     The   ueary  explorers  were  taken  on  board 
and  given  every  possible  means  of  comfort.     On  the  i8th 
of   October   the    rescued    party,  all   of   whom    had    long 
before  been  given  up  for  dead,  arrived  at  England.     The 
principal  result  of  this  expedition  was  the  reaching  and 
determining  of  the  exact  location  of  the  North  Magnetic 


vs 

"lamed  Felix 
/Vhen  spring 
Not  until 
d  proceeded 
le  entangled 
llovvino:  An- 
s  again  free, 
-nly  became 
:s  they  were 
ey  remained 
ig  health  of 
and,  and  the 
through  the 

the  ship. 
y  the  party 

wrecked  in 

quantity  of 
ip,  and  here 
e  was  great 
of  the  men 
urvivors  re- 
Uigust  open 
their  boats. 

On  one  of 
This  ship 
If  had  once 
n  on  board 
)n  the  1 8th 
1  had  long 
land.  The 
aching  and 
h  Magnetic 


INTER L  J7'  RENE  WED 

Pole.     This  was  acco-iplished  by  James  Ross,  in  April 
1832.  ^    ' 

As  year  after  year  passed  and  no  tidings  from  Ross 
were  received  in  England,  great  anxiety  was  felt  for  his 
safety.     A  fund  was  raised  in  order  to  fit  out  an  expedi- 
tion to  search  for  him,  and,  if  he  could  be  found,  give  1  -m 
needed    relief.      The  government   aided    the  movement; 
and   Back,  who  had   accompanied  Franklin  to  the  north 
and    had    since   been    promoted    captain,   was   placed    in 
command.     In  February,   1833,  he  sailed  from  England 
With  his  party  he  reached  Fort  Chipewyan  on  the""  29th 
of  July,  and  about  a  fortnight  later  arrived  at  a  station  on 
Great   Slave    Lake.     Here    two   parties  were   formed  to 
explore  the  region   in  hope  of  finding  a  navigable  river 
upon   which  the  i.urney  could    be   continued.     On   the 
approach   of   cold    weather   they   returned   to    the   lake, 
where  a  house,  which    chey  named    Fort    Reliance,  was' 
built,  and  where  they  passed  the  winter. 

The  season  proved  to  be  terribly  se>  ere.     On  the  17th 
of  January  the   thermometer   registered  70°  below  zero 
Food  was  scanty  and  it  was  impossible  to  secure  fish  or 
game  at  that  time.     A  large  number  of  Indians  flock^^ 
to  the  house  ;  and  though  a  little  food  was  distributed 
among  them,  many  perished  from  hunger.     On  the  25th 
of  April  the  party  were  greatly  cheered  by  the  arrival  of  a 
messenger  with  the  news  that  Ross  had  reached  England 
in  safety.     This  left  them  free  to  make  further  explora- 
tions, which  was,  indeed,  a  secondary  object  of  the  expe- 
dition.    On  the  7th  of  June  the  house  was  closed,  and 
the  party  proceeded  to  the  Great  Fish  River,  which  has 
since  been  named  after  Back,  of  which  they  made  a  care- 
ful examination.     After  an  absence  of  about  four  months 


I    1 


476 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


if'  '> 


they  returned  to  Fort  Reliance,  where  they  passed 
another  winter.  In  the  following  March  the  homeward 
trip  was  commenced,  and  in  September  the  party  arrived 
in  England. 

In  1S36  the  British  Government  equipped  another  ex- 
pedition to  continue  the  exploration  of  some  of  the  coast 
lines  that  had  been  partially  surveyed.  Back  was  placed 
in  command  of  the  ship  Terror,  on  which  he  sailed  in 
June.  The  party  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  They 
hoped  to  winter  in  Repulse  Bay ;  but  before  reaching  that 
point  they  encountered  a  violent  storm,  by  which  they 
were  driven  back  for  quite  a  distance,  and  ere  long  the 
ship  was  caught  in  a  mass  of  ice.  Much  of  the  time 
they  were  driven  by  the  wind,  or  carried  by  the  current, 
with  the  great  body  of  ice  in  which  they  were  wedged  as 
in  an  enormous  vise,  and  they  were  often  in  imminent 
danger  of  destruction. 

The  ship  did  not  get  free  until  nearly  the  middle  of 
July.  It  had  been  seriously  damaged,  and  an  immediate 
return  to  England  was  the  only  course  that  could  be 
adopted.  The  trip  was  made  with  all  possible  speed, 
but  the  ship  was  in  a  sinking  condition  when  port  was 
reached.  Although  the  expedition  had  failed,  it  was  not 
from  want  of  skill  or  effort.  This  fact  was  fully  recog- 
nized, and  soon  after  reaching  home  Back  was  knighted. 
The  survey  which  he  was  unable  to  make  was  completed 
the  following  year  by  Dease  and  Simpson,  who  were  sent 
out  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  who  made  exten- 
sive explorations  of  the  coast  of  Boothia  and  Victoria 
Land. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

HEROIC    ENDEAVORS 

The  next  expedition  to  the  Arctic  seas  left  Endand  on 
the  26th  of  May,  1845.      The  government  had  fitted  out 
two  ships,  the  Erebus  and  the  Terror,  in  the  best  possi- 
ble manner,  and  also  provided  a  transport,  with  a  canro  of 
food  supplies  and  general  stores,  to  accompany  them  as 
far  as   Davis  Strait.     The  Erebus  was  commanded  by  Sir 
John  iM-anklin,  who  was  chief  oilRcer  of  the  expedition 
and  the  Terror,  by  Captain   Richard  Crozier.     The  com- 
bined  crews  numbered  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  men 
The  object  of  this  expedition,  as  defined  by  the^  o-overn- 
ment  officers,  was  "  the  accomplishment  of  a  northwest 
passage  by  sea  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  " 
and  very  nn-nute  instructions  were  given  as  to  the  course 
which    was    to    be    pursued.      The    ships    and    transport 
arrived  safely  at  Davis  Strait.     Here  the  latter  was  un- 
loaded and  at  once  returned  to  England.     The  two  ships 
then  wciU  on  their  way.     On  the  26th  of  July,  184^,  they 
n-ere   seen    by  a    whaling   vessel    named    the   Priucc  of 
naies.      I  hey  were  then  near  the  middle  of  IMn  Hay 
waiting  for  an  opening  in  the  ice,  which  had  blocked  their 
way.     Prom  that   time  they  were  seen  by  white  men  no 
more. 

It  was  expected  that  about  two  years  would  pass  after 
the  ice  fields  were  reached  before  word  could  be  received 
from  the  explorers.     When  this  period  had  elapsed  and 


\M 


\\  I  t -  ir 

If  >     .    i'   I!     ■ 


^ 


478 


EARJJER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


nothing  was  heard  from  the  party,  their  friends  in  Eng- 
land   began  to  fear  that  some   disaster  had  befallen  the 
expedition.     As  weeks  and  months  went  by,  leaving  the 
silenee  unbroken,  the  feeling  of  a])])rehension  deejjened. 
In   1848  the   British  Government  sent  out  three  expedi- 
tions in  search  of  the  missing  explorers.     Of  these,  one 
was  to  attempt  to  reach,   the  Polar  Sea  by  way  of  Berincr 
Strait,  one    was  to  pass    down   the    Mackenzie    River  to 
the    sea    and    then  follow  the   coast  to  the    Coppermine 
River,  while  the  other  was  directed  to  pass  through  Lan- 
caster Sound  and  13arrow  Strait.     Two  ships  were  fitted 
out    for    the     expedition    first     named.     They    were    the 
Herald  and  the  Plover,  under  CajHain  Henry  Kellett  and 
Commander  Thomas   i:.  L.  Moore.     Tiie  second  was  led 
by  Dr.,  now  Sir  John  Richardson,  who  was  accompanied  by 
Dr.  John  Rae,  who  had  already  won  fame  as  an  explorer 
in  the  service  of  the   Hudson  Bay  Com|)any.     The  thi'rd 
was  under  Sir  James  Clark  Ross  and  Cajjtain  \i.  J.  Bird, 
with  two  large  ships  named  the  Enterprise  :\.w(\  i\^Ki  Investi- 
gator.   Inill  directions  were  given  to  each  of  these  parties; 
and  as  all  points  that  l-'ranklin  was  at  all   likely  to  reach 
were  to  be  visited,  it  was  hoped  and  believed  that  this 
united  effort  would  speedily  be  crowned  with  success.    The 
expeditions  made  some  valuable   additions  to  the   know- 
ledge of  the  regions  which  they  visited,  but  as  far  as  their 
principal  object  was  concerned  they  were  utter  failures. 

Ix^  1849  the  British  Government  offered  a  reward  of 
/20,ooo  to  private  persons,  of  any  nationality,  who  should 
discover  and  rescue  the  missing  explorers.  This,  together 
with  a  deep  interest  in  the  fate  of  I'ranklin,  led  to  the 
formation  of  numerous  j^arties  to  prosecute  the  search. 
Lady  I'ranklin  also  provided  means  for  sending  men  and 


rf 


IIKNKV  (;kinnkli, 

vessels  to  aid  i„  ,he  w,„k.     In   ,s,o  there  were  at  least 
welve  sh.ps,  besides  l^oat  and  sledge  parties,  engaged  in 
the  CMiteipnse. 

Among    the   expeditions    was    one    from    the    United 
States^       h.s  was  mainly  fitted  out  by  Henry  (;rinnell,  p 
New  York  merchant,  but  it  was  under  government  con- 
'•<>  •     It  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  De  Haven,  who 
had  seen  service  in  an  exploring  expedition  in  the  Ant- 
arctic  reg,o,.s.     Two  ships,  the  ^^/va^^ce  and  the  A^csrue, 
were    furnished.     They    left    New   York   on   the   24th  of 
May,  1850.      Hie  plan  proposed  was  to  proceed  to  Mel- 
ville  Island,  pass  the  winter  wherever  they  were  caught 
'n  the  ,ce,  and  then  follow  whatever  course  should  seem 
most  likely  to  lead  to  success. 


ni«   I 


''  %  ill 


.V 


\tl  t 


"T! 


i  I 


H-! 


480 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


The  ships  of  several  of  these  expeditions  came  near 
each  other  in  Bafifin  Bay.  At  this  point  they  were  long 
delayed  and  were  often  in  extreme  peril  from  enormous 
masses  of  floating  ice.  Some  of  the  best  ships  spent  five 
weeks  in  sailing  northward  only  thirty  miles.  When  the 
course  became  more  open  the  ships  parted  company, 
going  in  different  directions  in  order  to  make  the  search 
as  thorough  as  possible. 

On  the  23d  of  August,  1850,  the  first  trace  of  the 
missing  party  was  found.  This  was  at  C  ;)e  Riley,  where 
the  crew  of  a  boat  from  the  British  ship  Assistance 
landed.  Several  articles  were  found  which  had  evidently 
belonged  to  Europeans,  but  they  could  not  be  identified 
with  the  Franklin  ])arty.  IMiis  was  followed  by  a  trip  to 
Beechey  Island,  about  three  miles  distant.  Here  was 
discovered  the  spot  where  Franklin  spent  the  winter  of 
1845-46.  The  graves  of  three  men  w^ho  had  died  during 
that  season  were  also  found.  These  were  marked  by  oak 
boards  '  pon  which  the  names  and  ages  of  the  deceased 
had  been  inscribed.  Careful  search  was  made  by  paities 
from  three  of  the  vessels  which  were  near  the  island,  but 
nothing  could  be  found  to  indicate  in  what  direction 
Franklin  intended  to  proceed  when  he  left  the  camp.  It 
was  ascertained,  however,  that  during  the  winter  his  ships 
had  been  fast  in  the  ice  a  little  south  of  Beechey  Island. 

About  the  middle  of  September  the  vessels  engaged  in 
the  search  were  ice-bound,  and  the  work  was  necessarily 
suspended.  When  spring  opened  sledging  expeditions 
were  formed  to  prosecute  the  search  on  land.  Twelve 
|)arties  were  organized.  One  of  these,  under  Lieutenant 
McClintock,  travelled  seven  hundred  and  sixty  miles. 
The  others  covered  lesser  distances.     Great  suffering  was 


came  near 
were  long 
enormous 

s  spent  five 

When  the 

company, 

the  search 

ace  of  the 
Jley,  where 

Assistance 
d  evidently 
e  identified 
)y  a  trip  to 

Here  was 
I  winter  of 
lied  during 
ced  by  oak 
e  deceased 

by  parties 

island,  but 
t  direction 
;  camp.  It 
^T  his  ships 
;y  Island, 
engaged  in 
necessarily 
expeditions 
1.  Twelve 
Lieutenant 
ixty  miles. 
Fferinir  was 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS  ^gi 

experienced  from  cold  and  fatigue,  and  one  of  the  men 
died  from  exhaustion.  One  of  the  parties  reached  the 
spot  where  Parry  had  encamped  in  1820,  and  another  dis- 
covered a  wide  strait  of  open  water,  which  was  named 
Victoria  Channel,  but  no  trace  of  Franklin  or  his  men 
was  found. 

Although    the   numerous   expeditions  which   had  been 
sent  out  were  uttei  failures  as  far  as  the  accomplishment 
of  their  mam  jjurpose  was  concerned,  some  very  impor- 
tant results  in  other  lines  were  secured.    The  most  notice- 
able  of  these   was    the  discovery  by  Captain,  afterward 
Sir  Robert  McClure,  commander  of  the   British  ship  In- 
vestigator^ of  the  Northwest  Passage.      This  great  event 
occurred  on  the  26th  of  October,  1850.     Yea;  after  year 
expeditions  followed   the  ones  which   have  been   named 
Several   ships   were   lost.     Heroic   efforts   were   made  by 
officers  and  men,   and   terrible  sufferings  ^vere  endured 
but  the  mystery  regarding  the  fate  of  Frcnklin  was  not 
disj)elled. 

hy    1853  Mr.  Grinnell,  aided  by  several  individuals  and 
organisations,    fitted    out    his    second    expedition    to    the 
Arctic    regions.     The    ship,   which    was  named    the  Ad- 
vance^ was  commanded   by  Dr.   I-:]isha  Kent   Kane,  who 
had  accompanied  Lieutenant   De  Haven  in  the  first  Grin- 
nell expedition.     With  eighteen  men  he  sailed  from  New 
York  on  the  30th  of  May,  intending  to  pass  as  far  north 
as  possible  in  liaffin  Hay.  and  thence  proceed,  with  sledcres 
and  boats,  on  land  and  water  in  such  direction  as  should 
give  the  greatest  hoj,e  of  success.     After  reaching  Mel- 
ville    Hay   there    uas  great  difficulty  and   danger  on  ac- 
count of  f,.gs  and  ice.      At   Littleton   Island  a  quantity 
of  l)rovisions  were  stored,  to  be  used,  in  case  of  necessity 
31 


U\  i^ 


rr; 


» .. 


M  .'' 


'I, a 


482 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPIO RATIONS 


on  the  return  trip.  Although  the  region  was  dreary  and 
desolate  in  the  extreme,  abundant  evidences  were  found 
that  it  had  once  been  the  scat  of  an  Eskimo  settlement. 

As  winter  approached,  the  ship  was  brought  to  a 
sheltered  place,  which  was  named  Van  Rensselaer  Harbor, 
where  it  became  fast  in  the  ice  on  the  loth  of  September. 
Sledging  parties  were  sent  out  for  the  double  purpose  of 
establishing  depots  for  provisions  and  for  making  explora- 
tions. This  work  could  not  be  continued  after  the  20th 
of  November,  as  the  sun  then  passed  below  the  horizon 
to  remain  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  days.  The  winter 
was  extremely  severe.  The  temperature  was  often  40°, 
and  at  one  time  dropped  to  75°,  below  zero.  Most  of  the 
dogs,  of  which  a  large  number  had  been  procured  tor 
sledging  purposes,  died  from  brain  disease  caused  by  the 
depressing  influences  of  intense  cold  and  continuous  dark- 
ness. Many  of  the  men  suffen^d  severely  from  scurvy, 
and  the  others  were  greatly  debilitated  by  their  close  con- 
finement and  the  hardshijxs  which  they  had  endured. 

On  the  return  of  the  sun,  sledging  j^arties  were  formed 
and  the  work  of  expl(>ration  was  resumed.  These  jour- 
neys proved  extremely  difficult.  Two  of  the  men  died  as 
the  result  of  exposure  and  privations,  and  Kane  had  an 
illness  that  for  several  days  seemed  likely  to  j^rove  fatal. 
A  latitude  of  82"  27'  was  reached,  and  a  coast  line  was 
mapped  which  extended  nine  hundred  and  sixty  miles. 
To  complete  this  work  involved  not  less  than  tw.)  thou- 
sand miles  of  walking  and  sledge  travel.  Among  the  dis- 
coveries which  were  made  were  a  mamiificent  colunm  of 
greenstone,  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high,  rising  on 
a  pedestal  which  itself  towered  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet    above    the    ground,    which    was    called    Tennyson's 


'l\ 


■I 


a 


rrEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


wmMm- 


4«3 


DK.   E.   K.   KANK 

Mo.n.nKMU;  and  an  cMiormous  wall  of  ice,  three  hundred 
eet  m  hcght,  which  was  nan.ed  tlie  Great  Glacier  of 
Huniboldt  The  party  carried  its  explorations  to  Cape 
Constitution,  in  latitude  82°  .7'.  A  lofty  peak  on  the 
opposite  coast  of  Grinnell  Lard  was  named  Mount  \\\. 
ward  Parry. 

At  this  time  the  summer  was  well  advanced,  but  there 
were  no  indications  that  the  ship  would  ^ret  clear  of  the 
ite.  1  he  stock  of  provisions  was  small,  and  the  health  of 
tlie  party  had  become  greatly  impaired.     A  careful  con- 


484 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


■t 


'VS 


,l{ 


1  w 


\n 


sideration  of  the  subject  showed  that  it  would  be  ex- 
tremely hazardous  to  attempt  to  pass  another  winter  in 
the  ship.  Therefore  Dr.  Kane  resolved  to  make  an  at- 
tempt to  communicate  with  some  English  ships,  belonging 
to  a  searching  expedition,  which  were  lying  off  Beechcy 
Island.  With  five  of  the  strongest  men  he  started  in  an 
open  boat,  but  a  terrible  storm  was  encountered,  and  in 
spite  of  their  most  earnest  efforts  to  force  a  passage,  the 
ice  presented  a  barrier  which  they  could  not '  break 
through.  They  returned  to  the  ship,  intending  to  hoist 
signals  that  would  bring  to  their  aid  other  explorers,  if 
there  were  any  in  that  region. 

On  consulting  with  his  men.  Dr.  Kane  found  that  some 
of  them  believed  it  would  be  possible  to  escape  overland 
to  the  nearest  Danish  colony.  He  then  gave  each  and  all 
the  choice  of  making  such  an  attempt  or  of  remaining 
with  him  in  the  ship.  Nine  of  the  men  preferred  to  go. 
The  remainder,  more  wisely  as  it  proved,  decided  to  stay 
with  their  commander.  After  enduring  the  most  terrible 
sufferings,  those  who  had  left  found  their  way  back  to  the 
vessel. 

About  seventy-five  miles  distant  from  the  ship  was  an 
Eskimo  village.  The  inhabitants  were  friendly  to  the 
weather-bound  explorers.  Eor  a  time  communication  was 
kept  up,  and  some  food  supplies  were  obtained ;  but  with 
the  coming  of  continued  darkness,  and  a  great  scarcity  of 
meat  at  the  settlement,  this  source  of  relief  was  cut  off. 
By  March  all  the  men  were  suffering  from  scurvy,  and 
more  than  half  of  the  number  were  seriously  ill.  The 
supply  of  fuel  was  exhausted,  and  lamps  were  used  for 
both  light  and  heat.  Everything  in  the  ship  was  turned 
black  with  soot.     Two  of  the  men  became  desperate  and 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


attempted  to  desert.  One  of  tl,ese  was  successful,  but  he 
seems  to  have  repented,  as  |-,e  afterward  returned  with 
some  food  that  he  had  obtained  from  the  Eskimos 

Before  spring  had  fairly  eome,  preparations  were  com- 
menced for  abandoning  the  ship.     The  three  boats  were 
repan-ed,  sledges  were  put  in  order,  and  a  supply  of  cloth- 
ing and  beddmg  was  got  in  readiness  for  use.     On  the 
i/th  of  May,  after  the  reading  of  prayers  and  the  Scrip- 
tures, th:  flags  were  hoisted  and  hauled  down.     Then  the 
seventeen  survivors  of  the  party,  four  of  whom  were  too 
111  to  vyalk  alone,  started  to  cross  the  ice  and  water  which 
for  thn-teen  hundred   miles,  lay  between   them  and  the 
north  of  Greenland. 

For  nearly  a  week  the  party  was  able  to  proceed  only  a 
little  more  than  a  mile  per  day.     Early  in  June  one  of  the 
men  met  w,th  an  accident  which,  a  few  days  later,  resulted 
in  h.s  death.     Various  Eskimo  settlements  were  visited 
and  at  some  of  them  the  supply  of  provisions  was  replen' 
■shed.     On  many  occasions  it  was  necessary  to  halt  for 
rest.     Various  accidents  occurred,  and  diil.culty  and  dan- 
ger  were  the  constant  companions  of  the  weak  and  weary 
pary.     At  length,  to  their  great  relief,  open  water  wal 
reached,  and  on  the  ,9th  of  June  they  took  to  their  boats, 
one  of  wh,ch  was  soon  swamjjed.    It  was  a  fearful  voyage 
Hunger,  cold,  weariness,  and  e..pos.n-e  to  storn,s  brought 
terrible  suffenngs.     After  being  in   the  open   air  of  an 
Arctic  climate  for  eighty-four  d.ays,  the  party  reached  Up- 
ernavik,  tl,o  seat  of  a  Danish  colony  on  an  island  off  the 
coast  of  Greenland.     Here  they  remained  until  the  6th  of 
September,  when  they  embarked  on  a  ship  bound  for  the 
-Shetland  Islands.     Hut  at  Godhavi,  an  American  e.xpedi- 
that  had  come  c   ' 


I 


tl 


to  searcli  for  tliem 


was  seen  and 


r  lii 


n'lfj^ 


mi' 


III 


I'll  ^  s 


486 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLOIiAIIONS 


they  were  tran:,r"en-ed  to  the  ships  which  had  been  sent 
for  their  relief.  In  October  they  were  safely  landed  at 
New  York.  Many  important  surveys  had  been  made  and 
much  valuable  information  concerning  the  Arctic  regions 
had  been  gained,  but  not  the  sligh  .ost  trace  of  Franklin 
had  been  found. 

The  long  absence  of  Dr.  Kane  caused  a  great  deal  of 
anxiety  in  the  United  States,  and  in  February,  1855,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  was  authorized  by  Congress  to  send 
an  expedition  for  his  relief.  Two  ships,  the  Release  and 
the  Arctic,  were  equipped  and  Lieutenant  Hartstenc  was 
placed  in  command.  Baffin  Bay  was  reached  in  due  time, 
and  a  careful  search  was  made  at  the  numerous  points 
where  it  seemed  possible  that  Kane  might  be  detained. 
All  efforts  to  find  the  missing  men  proving  fruitless,  the 
ships  were  turned  toward  the  south  and  proceeded  to 
Upernavik  and  thence  to  Godhavn,  on  Disco  Island, 
where,  as  already  related,  the  explorers  were  found. 

Upon  his  return  home,  and  the  publication  of  his  report 
of  the  voyage.  Dr.  Kane  received  many  honors,  not  only 
from  his  countrymen   but  also  from  societies  and  individ- 
uals in  foreign  lands.     As  soon  as  possible  he  prepared  a 
complete  narrative  of  his  Arctic  explorations,  which  was 
published   in   book   form    and    made   him    famous   as  an 
author.     His  health,  which  had  never  been  firm,  had  suf- 
fered from  his  terrible  exposures,  and,  before  his  book  was 
complet'jd,  rapidly  failed.     In   hope  of  obtaining  relief  he 
sailed  to  England  ;  but  his  strength  declined,  and  after  a 
brief  visit  he  started  for  home  by  way  of  IIa\-ana,  but  died 
in  that  city,  in  February,  1857,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 
seven  years. 

The  numerous  maritime  expeditions  that  were  sent  out 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


487 


e  sent  out 


to  discover  Franklin  were  supplemented  by  diligent  and 
extended  search  on   land.     Dr.  Rae,  who  had  not  only 
seen  a  great  deal  of  service,  but  had  won  popular  recognt. 
tion  as  an  expert  in  this  field,  spent  several  years  in  this 
arduous  work.     In  ,854  he  met  a  band  of  Eskimos  who 
told  h,m  about  a  party  of  some  forty  men  who  had  starved 
to  death  at  a  place  far  west  of  where  they  then  were 
Four  wuuers  had  passed  since  this  sad  event  occurred' 
1  he  men  were  drawing  sledges  and  a  boat  over  the  ice' 
1  heir  language  could  not  be  understood;  but  from  signs' 
which  they  made  the  Eskimos  believed  that  their  ships 
had  been  wrecked,  that  their  provisions  were  scanty,  and 
t.iat  they  were  going  toward  the  south  in  hope  ot  finding 
game  o,.  which  they  could  subsist.     Later  in  the  same 
year  several  graves  were  found,  and  also  the  bodies  of 
about  thn-ty  person.s  which  had  not  been  buried.     These 
were  on  the  mainland.     On  an  island,  not  far  away,  fi;e 
other  bodies  were  found.     Some  of  the  bodies  were  in 
ten  s  some  on  the  open  ground,  a.d  others  under  a  boat 
hat  had  been  placed  so  as  to  form  a  shelter  from  storms. 
Dr.  Rae  purchased  of  the  Eskimos  a  large  number  of  arti- 
ces   hathad  belonged  to  the  party  and  that  completely 
clentified  the  n,en  who  had  so  miserably  perished  as  mem 
bers  of  the  Lranklin  expedition.     He  at  once  proceeded 
to  England,  and,  with   his  men,   received  the  reward  of 
.^.0,000  which  had  been  offered  to  those  who  first  should 
give  definite  information  regarding  the  fate  of  the  Frank- 
lin  party. 

The  report  ot  Dr.  Rae  caused  a  very  general  feeling  in 
tngland  that  no  member  of  the  Franklin  expedition  could 
be  hvmg,  and  the  British  Government  d-clined  to  risk 
more  lives  or  expend  more  money  for  a  further  search 


i^rii 


H,* 


I  i 


f'f 


!ifi 


i'  J' 


488 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


Lady  Franklin,  however,  with  the  assistance  of  a  few 
friends,  fitted  out  a  vessel,  called  the  Fox,  of  which  the 
experienced  explorer  Captain  McClintock  was  placed  in 
command.  The  officers  and  men  numbered  twenty-five 
The  ship  sailed  from  Scotland  in  July,  1857,  was  caught 
in  ice  in  Melville  Bay  on  the  i8th  of  August,  and  drifted 
until  late  in  April,  1858.  Beechey  Islandwas  reached  on 
the  nth  of  August,  and  a  marble  tablet,  that  had  been 
sent  out  by  Lady  Franklin,  was  erected  at  the  graves  of 
the  men  who  had  died  at  that  place. 

The  second  winter  was  passed  in  a  haven  at  the  eastern 
entrance  of  Bellot  Strait.  Early  in  the  spring  journeys 
were  made  to  establish  depots  of  provisions.  Natives 
were  met  with  who  said  that  many  years  before  a  ship  had 
been  broken  up  by  the  ice,  that  the  crew  had  escaped,  had 
gone  toward  the  Great  Fish  River,  and  all  had  died  of 
starvation. 

On   the   2d  of   April,    1859,  the    spring   journey  com- 
menced.    From  a  party  of  natives  news  was  obtained  of 
a  second  ship  that  had  drifted  on  shore,  and  several  relics 
were  purchased.     The  explorers  divided  into  two  parties, 
one    led  by    Lieutenant    Hobson,  the    other   by  Captain 
McClintock.     On  the  6th  of  May  Hobson  found  written 
records  of  the  Franklin  expedition.     The  first  entry  was 
dated  the  28th  of  May,   1847,  and  stated  that  the  party 
had  passed  up  Wellington  Channel  antl  returned  by  the 
west  side  of  CornwalHs  Island,  thus  having  completed  the 
discovery  of  the  Northwest   Passage,  of  which  they  had 
been  in  search      They  were  then  in  winter  quarters  and 
all  were  well.     The  .second  entry,  dated  the  25th  of  April, 
1848,  states  that  Sir  John   Franklin  died  on  the  nth  of 
June,  1847,  that  eight  other  officers  and  fifteen  men  had 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


489 


DR.    ISAAC    I.    IIAVKS 


died,  that  having  been  fast  in  ice  since  the  12th  of  Sc^ 
tember,  1846,  the  ships  Ereb^cs  and  Terror  were  deserted 
on  the  22d  of  April,  1848,  and  that  on  the  26th  of  April 
the  survivors  would  commence  a  journey  in  hope  of 
reachmg  Back  s  Great  Fish  River. 

Lieutenant  Hobson  proceeded  in  tlie  direction  indi- 
cated, and  found  human  skeletons,  a  boat  nearly  buried  in 
the  snow,  watches,  books,  and  numerous  other  articles 
Captam  McCIintock  also  reached  the  boat.  In  connec- 
tion with  what  had  already  been  found,  these  discoveries 
confirmed  the  statements  of  ^Ir.  Rae,  and  ,  ^oved  beyond 
doubt  that  after  leaving  the  spot  where  the  records  were 
tound  the  party  attempted  to  reach  the  Great  Fish  River 


M    \l 


n^ 

mr^ 

sgfrfw"»" 

fl 

f 

1 

lie  :^ id 

i 

P 

^:! 

1 

^ 

i 
1 

hi  !    i       ^ .    !  , 


<>   ! 


g; 


1  ' 

1  ' 


j  *N 


I '14  '■ 


!i; 


490 


EAJiUER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


hat  niany  of  them  died  on  t]ie  wa)-,  that  some  started 
to  return  to  the  sliip  and  lost  their  lives,  and  that  the 
remainder  reached  the  river,  but  while  waiting  for  the  ice 
to  break  they  all  perished  of  exposure  and  starvation 
Such  was  the  terrible  fate  of  the  first  discoverers  of  the 
Northwest  Passage,  uhich  had  been  sought  for  hundreds 
or  years. 

I)r  Isaac  I.  Hayes,  who  went  out  as  surgeon  with  the 
second  Gnnnell  expedition,  under  Dr.  Kane,  was  exceed- 
ingly anxious  to  prosecute  further   search  in  the  Arctic 
regions,  and    endeavored    to   secure  the   organization  of 
another  party,  and  obtain  a  suitable  equipment   for  that 
purpose.     But    the  public    had    come  to  believe  that   no 
results  could  be  obtained  that  would  be  of  sufficient  value 
to   justify  the    risks   of    life   and    property    that    another 
expedition  would  involve.     Yet  his  zeal  was  so  great,  and 
he  so  forcibly  presented  his  views  in  lectures  which  he 
delivered   in   the   large  cities  of  the    United  States,  that 
considerable  interest  was  aroused  and  a  sufficient  sum  of 
money  was  secured  to  purchase  and  lit  out  a  vessel  for 
his  use. 

h^    this    ship,    the    name    of    which    was   patriotically 
changed    from    the    Sprw^    /////  to    the    Untied  State,. 
Hayes    sailed    fro.n     Boston    on    the    7th    of    July,    ,S6o.' 
The     part)',    all     told,    numbered     fifteen     persons.     The' 
definite  objects  of  the  expedition   were  to  extc/ul,  and  if 
possible  complete,   the  survey  ..f  the   northern    coast  of 
Greenland  and  (n-innell  Land,  and  continue  explorations 
in  the  direction  of  the   North    j'ole.     The  y\rctic  Circle 
was  reached   near  the  close  of  July,  and   the  entrance  to 
Smith    Sound  on    the    27th   of  August;  but  winds  were 
contrary  and  the  ship  was  driven  back  three  times  before 


i 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS  ^q, 

it  was  possible  to  proceed  to  any  great  distance  in  the 
stra.t      A   hnrbor,  which   was    named    Port  Foulke,  was 

found  abont  twenty  miles  south  of  where  Kane  wintered 

ni  Rensselaer  Harbor. 

ber  of  dogs,  Hayes  started  on  a  sledge  journey,  intending 
t< coss  the  sound  to  Grinnell  Land.     Twenty-five  daj.s 
o    ardous  tod  did  not  take  them  half  the  distance,  but  it 
"tter  y  disabled  several  of  the  men.     Unwilling  to  aban- 
don the  project  while  there  was  a  possibility  rf  success 
Hayes  sent  all  but  three  of  his  men  back  to  the  ship' 
ihe  returnmg  party  took  with   them  the  boat  that  had 
been  taken  m  hope  that  it  could  be  launched  on  an  open 
sea.  J 

With  his  three  companions,  two  sledges  and  fourteen 
dogs,  the  resolute  leader  of  the  expedition  pressed  on,  and 
two  w.e.s  after   .he  parties   separated    h'e    reached    th 

n     ess f         -V'"  •■"'"""  '"  '^™^'  ™^  commenced, 
na     ted      u^r        :""'  "'   "^    "™    '^^'-^    ""-'y 
xhmd,  and   Hayes,  with  a  single  companion,  con.inued 
s  journey.     On  the   „S.h  of  M.ay  they  reached  Mo,: 
.   .y.     Here    heir  progress  was  checked  by  rotten  ice 
1  fissures  winch  could  not  be  crossed  wi.hou.  a  boat 
O^  s    vations  were  taken  which  showe<l  that  they  were  in 
'•"""le    ,S,     35,  a  higher    point    than  any  previous   e-c- 
plorer  had  reached  on  land. 

The  retun,  journey  was  extremely  diffi.  ulf,  but  the  ship 
•'     7'''-''i,""    <l'^'3dof   June.     Luring   his   absence 
the  h,.r  -r  H.ayes  h,.,l    ,ravelle<l    ,hi  teen   hun,lred 


■"ilcs.     In  July  the  vessel  was  free  f,-om  ir,. 


been  formed  to  s;iil  to  ( 


iimnell  Sound, 


In    i\vA,,v   t 


I'lans  h.ad 
make 


ff  n 


\tf 


.1 

;^ 

i     is 

V 

■■H 

1       I 

^ 

n| 

''    ii 

1 

Mm 

ii  I'l 

* 

Hm 

ffi 

'I 

f 

i 

P^ 

', 

K 


!'       i  Iff' 


\l\ 


If  I  * 


II  {.I 

is 

fit 


i 


ii  I 


111"!  i 


I!'  i^iiii 


492 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


further  explorations,  but  it  was  found  that  such  injuries 
had  been  sustained  during  the  winter  that  the  vessel 
would  not  be  safe  among  floating  masses  of  ice.  There- 
fore the  party  returned  to  Boston.  Only  one  man  had 
been  lost,  and  his  death  was  due  to  an  accident. 

In  the  year  i860,  Charles  Francis  Hall,  who  from  boy- 
hood  had  been  deeply  interested  in  the  fate  of  Franklin, 
and  had    been  a  close  student  of   the  literature  pertain- 
ing   to    the    Arctic    regions,    sailed    from    New    London, 
Connecticut,  in  a  whaling  vessel,  for  the  north.     A  boat 
winch    had    been    specially  fitted  for  his  use    was    taken 
along.     His    plan  was    to    stop    at   some    suitable    point, 
organize  a  crew  of  Fskimos,  and  prosecute  a  search  for 
members  of  the  I-ranklin  expedition,  some  of  whom  he 
believed    had    reached    native    settlements  and  were  still 
livmg.     He  also  desired  to  survey  some  portions  of  the 
region    which    was  as    yet    unexplored.     Search    for   the 
I'ranklin  party  was  j^revented    by  the    loss   of  the  boat 
soon  after  his  arrival;  but  he  found  various  relics  of  the 
Frobisher  expedition,  and  learned  that  the  body  of  water 
which    for    nearly   three    centuries    had    been    known    as 
I'robishe.-   Strait    was    actually    a    bay.      In    Sejitember. 
i<^62,    he    reached     New    London    in    a    whaling    vessel. 
\\'ith    him    he  took    two    hlskimos,  or    Innuits,  ^Joc    and 
Hannah,    with    their    little    child.     The    latter  was   soon 
taken  ill  and  died. 

In  1864  Hall  sniled  ngnin,  with  his  Innult  comiianions, 
to  the  north.  He  had  ac(|uire(l  considerable  knowledge 
of  the  I':skimo  language  and  customs.  His  plan  was  to 
live  with  these  peoi)le  two  or  three  years,  gain  their  confi- 
dence, and  then  set  i ire  their  assistance  in  e.\j)loring  all 
the  region   in  which   survivors  of  the   Franklin   party,  if 


mmmm 


IfRROIC  ENDEAVORS 


ich  injuries 

the  vessel 

:e.     There- 

e  man  had 

3  from  boy- 
f  Franklin, 
re  pertain- 
V  London, 
1.  A  boat 
was  taken 
ible  point, 
search  for 

whom  he 

were  still 
311  s  of  the 
h    for   the 

the  boat 
lies  of  the 
y  of  water 
known  as 
>ej)tember, 
ng    vessel. 

Joe  and 
was   soon 

mjianions, 
mowledge 
an  was  to 
leir  confi- 
lioring  all 
party,  if 


493 


!!,;    i 


«.ch  there  were,  „„ul<l  he  at  all  likely  ,„  he  f„„,„|      Thi, 
x,.o  ,tK,„  covered  a  peri,„|  „f  fi,,  ,,,,,     ,,,';,,„ 

pior^iT*,'"  '^-"^  "'^'  "■""■  4arc,i„s  the  ;;•:;! 

2  '"'"'^  <'    the,,,  ahve,  l.ut  at   le„g,h  he  was  forced  to 
''-.    ..nclus,o„    that  the  last  of   that  ill-fated    „a,-ty  in 
perished  several  years  hefoi-e.  '      ^ 

'"    '•^'«;    Hall   .cached    home   a.,d   was    ,eceive<l  with 


> 
S 


P'''' 

r  ^' 

1 

i  1 

11 

fir' 

r 

ll 

^11 


494 


J'lARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


great  honors.     He  then  made  a  vigorous  effort  to  secure 
an  expedition  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  the   North 
Pole.     A  great  deal  of   interest  was    excited.     Congress 
made  an   apj^ropriation   for  the  purpose,  and   a  steamer 
named  the  Polaris  was  fitted  out      Hall  vxas  appointed 
commander  of  the  expedition.     A  scientific  corps,  to  take 
observations    in    accordance   with    instructions   from    the 
National    Academy   of    Sciences,    was    selected.     A    full 
complement  of  ofTicers  was  chosen,  and  a  crew  of  fourteen 
men  was  secured.     Joe  and  Hannah,  the  Innuits  who  had 
previously  accomijanied   Hall  and  had    rendered  him  in- 
valuable services,  were  also  members  of  this  exi)edition. 

On   the  afternoon  of  the  :^i\  of  July,  1S71,  the  Polaris 
sailed  from   New  London,  Connecticut,  on   her  final   voy- 
age.    Smith  Sound  was    reached  without  special  adven- 
ture.    Passing     through     Kennedy    Channel,  the    \essel 
entered  what  Kane  had  supposed  was  an  o])en  sea,  but 
which  proved   t<.  be  only  a  small   body  of    water.     This 
received  the  name  of   Polaris   liay.      I'arlher  on  a  strait 
was  discovered   which,  in   honor  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  who  had   used  his  injluence  in   aid  of  (he  expedi- 
tion,   was    named    Robeson    Channel.       In    this    strait    a 
latitude  of  .S2''  16' was   reached   on   the   30th  of   August. 
This  was  the  highest   latitude  yet  reached.      It  was   fifty 
miles  beyond  the  farthest   jjoint  touched  by   Dr.   Hayes, 
and  nearly  two  hundred  miles  beyond  where   Dr.   Kane 
had  gone.      Here  progress  was   checked  by  ice,   and   for 
a  while  the  ship  was  carried  back  by  the  drift.      Hall  and 
some  of  his  men  were  anxious  to  make  further  efforts  to 
proceed,  but  some  of   the  subordinates  were  oj)posed  to 
this  course;  and  the  commander,  as  it  subsecpientlv  a|)- 
peared,  unwisely  heeded  their  i)rotests.     On   Septeml)er  3 


HEtlOIC  ENDBAVOKS 

the  ship  wa.s  put  hu„  wi.uer  quarters  in  Pohri,  R.    '" 
a   cove   to    which    Hnli    „,       .1  TOIans  Bay,  m 

Harbor.  '   «"™   *^  "^™'=  "«  'fhank  God 

''^e  aaioini,,  rei^iorr^s^t  X'rro'::  rtf 
t-,ii„,  i„  „, ,:'  ;:;-„er  cots  hit:;"'^  -^ 

^etun.ec,i„afe.y,reaehi„,.,eship:::;t'i;^^^^^^^ 
bcr      IlK.y  had  attained  the  highest  latitude  yet  readl 
and  discovered  a  channel  which  they  expected  ,t 
when  the  northward  journey  shouldVe  '        l-  ^    s      ' 
a  te.  reaching  the  ship  Hall  Ls  taken  ill,  o  ''the ';;' 

of  Novenil>cr  he   nassccl    iu'n,r      ti  ,  " 

pci.>.>iLci    away.      1  hus  cnrprl    fh/.  \\(      i 

one  of  t,„  „„,,,,  ,,,„^,  .„,„^^  >;^,^^^^^  ^^  ;:'::L'  pioL: 

It  was    rumored    that  ffill    hnrl  K^  •       "-y'"'^"^'^- 

fi,  I    •  .  "'^"  "^cen  poisoned    hut  i 

I-  ".«h  .nvest,gation  !,y  the  governuK-nt  proved  th      he 

i ':::  hi:  gLtr '  •^''  '^""  •^"  '-^'"^■■•■•-"  "-^-^  --  p'- 

Captain   Buddington,  who  succeeded  to  the  comnnnd 

im,>ort-,n,C.  J<mi-neys  were  made,  nothing  of 

aT.         h     ,"  ■'"^"""''"■^'-■''-     T'"™-'!    tin.   nn-ddle   of 
August    the    homcwarcl  voyage  was  eonnnenced      After 
ng  about  fifty  ,„i,,,,  ,„  ,^,,^^,  ^^.^_^  ^_^__  Af^ 

and  narrowly  escape<l   being    wrecked.     When  free    th 
yoyago  was  res.„„ed,  bt,t  in  a  short  time  a  field  o    H,n,^ 


i 


upo 


a  manner  as  to  threaten    h 


cr 


'»n 


T 


496  EAPLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 

immediate  destruction.  The  captain  ordered  the  crew 
to  save  whatever  they  could.  Provisions,  clothing,  and 
various  other  materials  were  hurriedly  thrown  upon  the 
ice.  The  Eskimo  women  and  children  were  taken  off 
and  several  of  the  men  left  the  vessel  to  move  the 
goods  to  as  safe  a  place  as  could  be  found.  Suddenly  the 
ship  broke  away  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  leav- 
ing nineteen  persons,  men,  women,  and  children,  adrift  on 
the  ice. 

Of   some   poles  and    lumber  which  had   been    thrown 
from   the  shij),  the  party  on   the  ice  constructed  a  rude 
house   in  which    they  took  up  their  abode.      The  stock 
of  provisions  was  small,  and,  though  a  few  seals  and  an 
occasional  bear  were  captured,  the  party  were  constantly 
on  short  rations.     In  addition  to  the  weakness  caused  by 
insufficient  food,  they  suffered  terribly  from  the  depress- 
ing influence  of  severe  cold,  and  of  darkness,  which  lasted 
for   eighty-one    days.     Meanwhile    the    floe    upon    which 
they   were    encamped    was    rapidlv   drifting    toward    the 
south.     On    the    nth   of  March   it  was  broken    up  by  a 
terrific   gale.     This  left    the  castaways  uj^on  a  compara- 
tively small  piece  of  ice,  as  far  as  area  was  concerned,  but 
fortunately  it  was  t)f  considerable  thickness.     This,  how- 
ever,  gradually  wasted    away;    and    Captain   Tysoii,    the 
leader  of  the  forlorn  part)-,  deemed  it  imperative  that'they 
take  to  their  one  remaining  boat  and    attempt  to  reach 
a  larger  and  fu-mer  field  of  ice.     This  was  safely  accom- 
plished, though  not  without  great  difficulty  and  extreme 
danger.     Violent  storms  caused  them  great'suffering  and, 
by  preventing  the  capture  of  seals,  brought  them  to  the 
verge  of  starvation. 
On  the  20th  of  April  the  waves  swejDt  over  the  ice  and 


IC-»MMiWI|IMl»BMi.LJ|MW»lHii    ■ 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 
carried  away  their  shelter,   together  with  neariy  all  the 
art,cles  wh.eh  they  had  thus  far  been  able  to  savl     ol 
by  the  most  desperate  efforts,  eontinued  for  twel™  Ztl 

he,r  cond.t.on  was  now  even  more  pitiable  than  it  had 
previously  been;  but  as  they  were  nearing  the  sealfi  ill 
groun  s  they  hoped  to  fall  in  with  a  v:sse     h     t      f 
g.ve  them  relief.     On  the  .5th  of  April  the  ice  became 
so  n,secure  that  they  were  obliged   to  take  to  the  bl" 
A   ew  days  later  a  sealing  vessel  was  seen,  but  e  her  the 
unfortunate  party  were  not  able  to  attract  the  at  e  t  on  ' 
those  on  board  or  else  the  ship  was  unable  to  get  tl   olh 
the  ,ee  wh.ch   lay  between   them.     After  this  two  0  fer 
vessels  were  s.ghted,  but  the  castaways  remained  uns    ^ 
0.1    he  30th  of  April  deliverance  came.     Throu<vh  T  ft 
■"  the  fog  a  steamer  was  seen  near  by.     Sign  1    ^     1' 
boat  were  observed  and  the  vessel  went  t^  their  "if 

oa:d  t":: :;;  "^  -f  '™"^^'  -^^^'^  -^  ^^^^^ 

boaid   the  ship,  which  proved   to  be  the    TiWess    from 
Newfot-ndland  which  was  on  a  cruise  for  sealfont: 
1 2th  of  May  the  rescued  party  reached  St.  John's      The 
government  sent  a  steanier  for  them,  and  on  thc'sth  o 
une  the  people  who  had  been  e.vposed  to  so  many  perils 

Son  exposure    and    privation,  arrived   at    Wash- 

When  the  /W.,v>  was  carried  away  fron,  the  ice  it  Ind 
fourteen    persons   on    board.     Information   given  by    1 
l>ar  y  rescued  from  .he  ice  led  the  governm'^nt  to  fi*^  i 

Uth    of    I'V      «    "'  r  """""^  rfi-->PPeared.     On  the 
■4th    of  July,    ,«73,  the    r/^,,ss,  under  Captain   Greer 

32  -  , 


w: 


11 


In  ( 


498 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORJTIONS 


sailed  from  New  York  on  this  errand  of  mercy.     She  was 
accompanied  by  the  ytimata,  a  smaller  vessel,  which  car- 
ried^ supplies  for  the  Tigress  and  which  was  also  designed 
to  aid  in  the  search.     About  the  middle  of  August  the 
Tigress  reached  Littleton  Island,  near  which  the  Po/aris 
was  last  seen  by  the  party  that  drifted  away  on  the  ice. 
Here  some  Eskimos  were  found  who  said  that  the  day 
after   the   separation   occurred    Captain  Buddington  had 
abandoned  the  ship.     With  some  lumber  from  the  vessel 
the   men    had   built  a  house  on  the   shore.     Here  they 
had   spent   the  winter.     Two  boats    were  made,  and   in 
these  the  company  sailed  southward  in  the  spring.     Dur- 
ing  a  gale  the  vessel  broke  loose  from  the  ice  in  which  it 
had  been  entangled,  and,  after  drifting  for  a  while,  had 
gone  down  in  the  sea.     Many  articles  that  had  been  left 
at  the  winter  camp  were  secured  by  Captain  Greer. 

The  7?^;//«/^  proceeded  to  Newfoundland  and  commu- 
nicated  the  facts  to  the  Navy  Department  at  Washing- 
ton.    Instructions  to  continue  the  search  were  returned 
and  another  voyage  was  commenced,  but  news  was  soon 
received  from  a  British  vessel  that  the  crew  of  the  Polaris 
had    been    found.     After  the    departure    of   the  J'uniaia 
Captain  Greer  continued  the  search,  but  finding  no  trace 
of  the  missing  party  sailed  to  New  York,  where  he  learned 
that  Captain  Buddington  and  his  men  had  been  rescued 
by  a  British  whaling  vessel  about  three  weeks  before  the 
relief  voyage  of  the   Tigress  was   commenced.     As   this 
ship  was  not  homeward  bound,  .ne  men  were  transferred 
to  other  vessels,  and  by  way  of  Scotland  at  length  reached 
New  York.     W^ith   the  exception  of  their  noble  leader, 
Captain    Hall,  every  member  of   the  Polaris  expedition 
reached  home  in  safety.     Many  of  them  had  been  adrift 


vmU'. 


"cy.  She  was 
el,  which  ear- 
also  designed 

August  the 
1  the  Polaris 
y  on  the  ice. 
that  the  day 
Idington  had 
•m  the  vessel 
Here  they 
lade,  and  in 
pring.  Dur- 
e  in  which  it 
a  while,  had 
ad  been  left 
jreer. 

and  commu- 
at  Washinp;- 
sre  returned 
vs  was  soon 
■  the  Polaris 
the  Juniata 
ing  no  trace 
e  he  learned 
leen  rescued 
s  before  the 
d.     As  this 

transferred 
gth  reached 
Dble  leader, 

expedition 
been  adrift 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 
on  floating  ice  for  one  hundred  and  ninety  days  and  all 
had  been  exposed  to  ie  greatest  danger'and  had  en 
dured   the  most   terrible  hardshin^,      Tu  ■ 
and    rescue  may  well   be   chssed  w>K    .T  P"^^"-™''™ 
modern  times.  ""*    ""^   ™''-="^'«  of 

p.".  Petermann,  an  eminent  German  geocrrapher   sent 
out  a  sma    vessel  in  iSfiu  f„  o^Oorapner,  sent 

Arctic  seas      r,!         f ,.     '^'"'"'"'^  exploration  in  the 

The  crn.m?eC"elfv™^"  orf  :^d-r  r™"^" 
encountered    and    only    n™'  r ^    f:"  r^eT 

<.....«.;t:dTh'i::^r—t;T:^'^^ 

Koidewey  was  appointed  command  st;ral  noteT '"" 
ent,sts  accompanied  the  expedition.  'Theobfec  tv"" 
was  to  penetrate  to  the  very  centre  of  th    A^'  "i^s" 

Arctic  Cncle  was  not  crossed  until  the  ,th  of  lulv     n 
he  .oth  of  July,  owing  to  a  misinterpretln      ' tna^s" 
the  ships  became  separated.     Captain  He^emannrft 
fiansa,  sailed  away  from    instead  of         «7       ' 
,!,„  /"  .  -^  '  'nstead  of  proceedms  toward 

the  Germama,  as  Captain  Koidewey  intended      0„  H 
■4th  of  September  the  Hansa  was  frozen  fnTh  ^ 
that  she  would  be  crushed  appealed "o'r    t  .^^^  t"^" 
was  built  upon  the  ice      TiJ  ^  "'  "  ''°"'*'^ 

'9th  of  the  month  fi...-«  ,....  -  .      -.  'P'     ^"  ^'^^ 


there  was  a  terrific  gale,  the 


pressure 


500 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


of  the  ice  upon  the  vessel  was  increased,  and  a  serious 
leak  was  started.  During  the  night  of  the  21st  of  Octo- 
ber the  ship  went  down.  A  fearful  winter  was  passed  in 
the  little  house.  Violent  storms  were  frequent  and  tli'^ 
cold  was  severe.  The  great  ice  field  upon  which  the  men 
were  located  was  drifted  about  at  the  mercy  of  wind  and 
wave.  On  the  7th  of  May  a  place  was  reached  from 
which  there  appeared  to  be  an  open  stretch  of  water  to 
the  shore.  The  boats,  which  had  been  saved  from  the 
ship,  were  launched,  and  after  ahnost  insuperable  obsta- 
cles had  been  overco'"">o  the  party  reached  land.  Several 
islands  were  visited,  but  it  was  not  until  the  14th  of  June, 
1870,  that  the  weary  party  reached  a  human  habitation. 
On  that  date  they  arrived  at  Friedrichsthal,  a  station  of 
the  Moravian  missionaries  on  the  southwestern  coast  of 
Greenland,  and  early  in  Sei^tember  the  entire  party 
reached  home.  They  had  drifted  more  than  eleven  hun- 
dred miles  on  the  ice,  and  had  been  preserved  through  a 
more  remarkable  series  of  perils  and  misfortunes  than 
almost  any  other  company  of  Arctic  explorers  who 
returned  to  their  native  land. 

After  losing  sight  of  the  Hansa,  the  Germania  followed 
the  coast  of  Greenland  as  far  north  as  latitude  75°  30', 
but  near  the  middle  of  August  was  obliged  to  turn  to  the 
south.  Winter  was  passed  off  Sabine  Island.  In  the 
spring  various  excursions  were  made  which  resulted  in 
valuable  scientific  and  geographical  discoveries.  Before 
the  work  which  they  hoped  to  accomplish  was  completed, 
a  leak  in  the  engine  boiler  made  it  necessary  for  the  party 
to  return  home.  Th^'s  voyage  was  completed  in  Septem- 
ber, 1870. 

In   1872  an  Austro-Hungarian  expedition  was  sent  to 


m\ 


id  a  serious 
I  St  of  Octo- 
as  passed  in 
ent  and  tli'^ 
ich  the  men 
of  wind  and 
cached  from 
of  water  to 
ed  from  the 
jrable  obsta- 
id.  Several 
4th  of  June, 
I  habitation, 
a  station  of 
ern  coast  of 
mtire  party 
eleven  hun- 
1  through  a 
rtunes  than 
jlorers    who 

UM  followed 
ude    75°  30', 

turn  to  the 
id.     In   the 

resulted  in 
ics.  Before 
;  completed, 
or  the  party 

in  Septem- 

was  sent  to 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 

Plf  who  'tr  .  '^  T  ^°'""""'«'   ^y  Lieutenant 
Haje,,  who  had   not  only  distinguished  himself^  in  the 

German  e.xped.t.on   under  Captain    Koldewey,   but  who 

Captain  Weyprecht,  who  had  accompanied  Payer  in  his 
previous   voyages,  was    chief  officer  of   the   ship      The 

ne?:::  "If^r.  «««'  ™'  '■"  *e  best  possiile  ma  ! 
ne.  and  Captain  Carlsen,  an  experienced  Arctic  voyager 
was  employed  as  pilot.  ^  ° 

Fif?een'd  ""i  f  ''",'''•  '*'-^'  ""  ^^^^e  was  commenced. 
F  fteen  days  later  the  coast  of  Nova  Zembla  was  seer 

At  about  th,s  t,me  ice  became  troublesome,  but  the  north' 

em  coast  of  Nova  Zembla  was  rounded  in  safety      He t 

progress  was  checked  and  the  ship  was  soon  fast  in  th 

.ce.     The  dreary  Arctic  winter  now  set  in.     The  sun  was 

absent  one  hundred  and  nine  days.     As  there  w as      n^ 

that  the  ship  would  be  broken  by  the  ice,  a  hut  was  bS 

m  which  to  take  refuge  in  case  such  an  accident  occur^d 

Much  of  the  time  the  floe  in  which  the  vessel  was  enc  led 

was  adrift  and  tow-ard  the  end  of  October,  ,87,  it  reacted 

LTlrS  ''^"  r'^°^  ^"'^'-^  lying' ;«  a  mt' 
land  that  had  never  been  explored.  Some  brief  excur- 
Mons  were  made,  but  the  beginning  of  the  Arctic  nTIt 
soon  made  their  continuance  impossible  ^ 

rhe  party  w-ere  now  in  a  higher  latitude  than  w-here 

PPearTtt-         ■^""''"^  "''"'"•  ^^  "^  -"  ^'cl   n 
appear  a   this  point  for  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  days 
Snow  fell  to  the  depth  of  twelve  feet  and  the  co  d  was 
very  severe.     In  March  several   expeditions  we  e  m  de 
by  sledge  parties.     During  one  of  these  the  temperature 

■nen    died    from    lung    disease    aggravated    by    scurvy 


f 

f 

'1  " 

f  * 

.  sfr 

I't 

f 

ji  ; 


502 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATJONS 


^ff    ' 


Many  of  the  dogs  died  and  others  became  so  weak  as  to 
be  of  h'ttle  use  in  the  sledge  teams.  But  in  spite  of  all 
these  obstacles  considerable  was  accomplished  in  the  way 
of  exploration.  One  of  the  sledge  parties  reached  a  lati- 
tude of  82°  5'.  In  honor  of  their  sovereign  the  leaders  of 
the  expedition  named  the  country  Franz  Josef  Land. 

There  were  no  indications  that  the  voyage  could  ever 
be  resumed,  and  the  diminished  stock  of  provisions,  to- 
gether with  the  failing  health  of  the  men,  made  it  neces- 
sary to  desert  the  ship.     On  the  20th  of  May,  1874,  the 
flags  were  nailed  to  the  mast  and  the  men  took  to  the 
sledges,  upon  which  the  boats  and  some  provisions  had 
been   loaded.     The  deep  snow  made  walking  extremely 
difficult,  and   the  wind   drove  back   the   ice  to  such   an 
extent  that  at  the  close  of  two  months  of  most  arduous 
toil  they  were  less  than  eight  miles  from  the  ship.     On 
the   14th  of  August  they  came  to  open  water,  and  four 
days  later  Nova  Zembla  was  reached.     A  few  days  after- 
ward   they  were    taken   off   by  a    Russian   vessel  which 
landed  them  at  Norway  on  the    3d  of   September.     Al- 
though   the   explorers  did   not  accomplish  all   that  they 
desired  to  do,  the  scientific  and  geographical  results  of 
their  expedition  were  of  great  value. 

From  1S5S  to  1878  several  expeditions  to  the  Arctic 
seas  were  sent  out  from  Sweden.  The  expense  was 
borne  in  part  by  the  government,  but  several  individuals 
and  societies  were  large  contributors.  The  earlier  expe- 
ditions were  principally  for  scientific  purposes.  They 
resulted  in  the  securing  of  a  vast  amount  of  information 
concerning  the  zoology,  botany,  and  geology  of  the  re- 
gions visited.  Two  of  this  series  of  expeditions  should 
have  special  mention  in  this  narrative.  They  are  the 
ones  which  sailed  in  1872  and  in  1878. 


5  weak  as  to 
spite  of  all 
1  in  the  way 
ached  a  lati- 
le  leaders  of 
f  Land, 
i  could  ever 
ovisions,  to- 
de  it  neces- 
ly,  1874,  the 
took  to  the 
)visions  had 
^  extremely 
to  such    an 
ost  arduous 
;  ship.     On 
2r,  and  four 
r  days  after- 
issel  which 
:mber.     Al- 
1   that  they 
1  results  of 

the  Arctic 
:pense  was 
individuals 
arlier  expe- 
ies.  They 
nformation 
of  the  re- 
Dns  should 
ly  are   the 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS  503 

For  the  expedition  of  1872  two  steamers  and  a  trans- 
port were  furnished.     Naval  officers  had  command  of  the 
ships,  but  the  expedition  was  under  the  general  direction 
of  Professor  Nordenskjold,  w-ho  had  made  several  voyages 
to  the  North.     The  steamer  Onkel  Adam  and  the  tra^s! 
port  Gladan  took  out  moss,  coal,  oil,  fifty  reindeer,  and 
he  par^  of  a  dwelling-house  ready  to  be  put  together 
iMvas  designed  that  these  vessels  should   return  In  the 
tall;  while  the  other  steamer,  named  the  Polhem^  was  to 
remam  at  the  North  during  the  winter 

The  vessels  which  should  have  returned  before  winter 

Spitzbergen.  7  his  pr.ved  a  great  disaster,  as  the  main- 
tenance of  the  crews  seriously  reduced  the  quantity  of 
provisions  which  had  been  designed  for  the  party  on 
board  the  exploring  vessel.  As  illustrating  the  perils  of 
the  Arctic  regions,  it  may  be  stated  that  a  number  of 
fishing  vessels,  with  fifty-eight  men  on  board,  were  also 
frozen  in  at  this  time  off  the  northern  coast.  Eighteen 
men  took  open  boats  and  succeeded  in  reaching  Ice 
Fjord,  where  a  quantity  of   provisions   had   been  stored 

and,  uith  the  remaining  men  on  board,  sailed  for  home 
In  November  a  relief  expedition  was  sent  from  Norway 
for  tne  fishermen  who  had  left  the  ships,  but,  owing  to 

Wh  f  •"'  ""'^^'"'^^  "^^^^^^'  ''  --  -succesLl. 
Another  ship  was  sent  out  in  December,  but  was  unable 

to  reach  Spitzbergen.     In  January,   ^873,  a  third  vesse 

was  despatched,  but  the  effort  to  find  the  missing  men 

was  a  failure.     It  was  afterward  learned   that  the  house 

was  reached  and  a  quantity  of   food  was  found;  but  as 


S04 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


i 


!l* 


'fi-i= 


fiC 


19* 


\m 


indicated  by  a  diary  which  they  kept  for  some  time,  the 
men  did  not  take  regular  exercise,  and  they  neglected  to 
freshen  their  meat.  As  a  consequence  of  these  indiscre- 
tions they  all  fell  victims  to  disease,  and  the  last  of  the 
party  died  before  the  summer  opened. 

The  scientists  connected  with  the  Swedish  expedition 
made  many  important  observations;  and  though  all  their 
reindeer  escaped  soon  after  they  were  landed,  several 
sledge  journeys  were  undertaken  with  dogs.  But  while 
it  accomplished  much  in  some  directions,  the  expedition 
wholly  failed  in  its  principal  object  of  making  a  journey 
on  ice  to  the  Pole. 

The  principal  object  of  the  expedition  of  187S  was 
the  discovery  of  the  Northeast  Passage.  It  involved  an 
expense  of  ^20,000,  of  which  sum  three  fifths  was  fur- 
nished  by  Mr.  Oscar  Dickson,  of  Gothenburg,  and  the 
remainder  by  the  Swedish  Government.  A  screw  steamer 
named  the  Vega,  which  had  been  built  expressly  for  use 
in  the  ice  regions,  was  equipjied  in  the  best  possible  man- 
ner, and  Professor  Nordenskjold,  who  had  accompanied 
not  less  than  eight  Arctic  expeditions,  was  placed  in 
charge.  The  whole  force,  including  officers,  scientists, 
and  crew,  numbered  only  thirty  men. 

l^he  steamer  sailed  on  the  21st  of  July.  She  was 
accompanied  by  the  Lena,  a  small  steamer  which  was 
designed  for  use  on  the  river  of  that  name.  Progress 
was  slow  on  account  of  adverse  winds,  but  Kara  Sea  was 
reached  on  the  ist  of  August,  and  five  days  later  the 
vessels  entered  Dickson  Harbor,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Yenisei  River.  On  the  loth  of  August  the  voyage  was 
resumed.  The  course  was  unobstructed  for  only  two 
days.     Then  large  masses  of  ice  were  encountered,  and 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


I  time,  the 
2glected  to 
le  indiscre- 
last  of  the 


expedition 
h  all  their 
-d,   several 

But  while 
expedition 
\  a  journey 

1878  was 
ivolved  an 
s  was  fur- 
l,  and  the 
!w  steamer 
>ly  for  use 
sible  man- 
:ompanied 
placed  in 
scientists, 

She  was 
rhich  was 

Progress 
a  Sea  was 

later  the 
ith  of  the 
>yage  was 
only  two 
ered,  and 


505 


A.    K.    NORDKNSKJor.D 

heavy  fogs  made  progress  both  slow  and  dangerous.  The 
difficulties  and  dangers  of  the  situation  weR>  greatly  in- 
creased by  the  fact  that  the  Taimyr  Peninsula  lies  farther 
to  the  west  than  had  been  supposed,  and  several  small 
islands  were  discovered  in  what,  according  to  the  then 
existing  charts,  should  have  been  the  dia'ct  course  on 
which  to  sail. 

On  the  19th  of  August  the  northern  extremity  of  Si- 
beria was  reached.  Here  flags  were  raised  and  a  salut. 
Nvas  hred.  The  only  party  to  observe  these  demonstra- 
tions was  a  large  white  bear,  and  he  plainly  manifested 
his  disapproval   of  the  proceedings.     The  next  dav  th. 


f 


Ij"  ' 


lHiJ,:i   ( 


i    « 


r.  i 


506  EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 

ships  proceeded  along  the  east  coast  of  the  peninsula. 
A  week  later  they  separated.  The  Lena  sailed  up  the 
river  to  its  destination,  Yakutsk,  which  it  reached  on  the 
2 1  St  of  September. 

The  progress  of   the    Vega  was    retarded    by  ice,   but 
North    Cape    was    reached    on    the    12th   of   September. 
Here  it  was  detained  for  nearly  a  week.     Several  excur- 
sions were  made  on  the  adjoining  land,  which  led  to  some 
very  interesting  discoveries.     Among  these  were  ruins  of 
the  habitations  of  a  people,  probably  allied  to  the  Eski- 
mos, who  inhabited  this  region  some  hundreds  of  years 
ago.     Fogs  and  ice  caused  constant  trouble,  but  on  the 
27th  of  September  the  east  side  of  Kolintschin   Bay  was 
reached  and  the  vessel  was  anchored.     It  was  fully  ex- 
]3ected   that  the  voyage  would  be  resumed  on  the  next 
day,  but  the  night  was  cold  and  the  numerous  floes  were 
frozen   together  so   firmly  that  they  could  not  be  pene- 
trated.    It  was  hoped  that  the  ice  would  soon  break  up, 
but  winds  from  the  north  continued  to  pack  heavy  masses 
along   the  coast,  and  new  ice  was  rapidly  formed   by  the 
increasing   cold.     Before  the  close  of  November  it  was 
evident  that  the  Vega  was  frozen  in  for  the  winter. 

The  ship  was  now  near  the  northern  i)art  of  Bering 
Strait,  and  only  one  hundred  and  fifteen  miles  from  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Had  this  point  been  reached  one  day 
sooner  the  voyage  could  undoubtedly  haxe  been  contin- 
ued without  special  difficulty,  and  an  imprisonment  in  the 
ice  for  nearly  ten  months  wcnild  have  been  avoided.  Nei- 
ther would  the  delay  have  occurred  in  an  ordinary  season. 
But  cold  weather  came  unusually  early,  and  navigation 
closed  more  than  two  weeks  before  the  date  up  to  which 
whaling  ships   had,  in  different  years,  been   able  to  get 


JfEJiOK  ENDEAVORS  ^„ 

into  open  water.  During  the  winter  rneteorolcical  and 
rn^nefc  observations  were  regularly  taken  which  hav^ 
proved  of  great  seientific  interest  and  value.  The  shin 
was  occasionally  visited  by  Eskimos,  of  whom  there  were 

severe,  but  there  was  no  day  upon  which  the  rays  of  the 
sun  were  not  seen  above  the  horizon 

On  the  ,8th  of  July,  ,879,  after  being  frozen  in  for  two 
hundred  and  ninety-four  days,  the  ^^^got  free  from  t  e 
.ce  and  p.oceeded  to  Bering  Strait,  't,™  days  late    t I 

the  search  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  years  before  and 
which    many  others   had  vainly   attempted   to   fincl '  w"s 

!s  P  o  I        V     ,     T  "°""  '^"^  "^"^  '-^-hed  at  which. 
New  vtrT'l  """'"'-'^J*!'''  -P—  it.  "the  Old  and  the 

.Z  i  ''""'  '^  '''''^'  ^''"^'■"    Aft"-''-  "--siting  the 

slo.es  of  Bermg  Strait  the  F^.a  sailed  for  Yokohama 
which  port  it  reached  on  the  ad  of  September 

we^rlt  "I  .'  "^''"f"""  "'  ™''°"^  "'"°'-  -^Peditions, 
we  must  find  room  for  an  outline  of  an    important  one 
sent  out  by  the  British  Government  in    18;  .     Tl  e  „ b 
jects  o   this  expedition  were  to  reach  the  Pole  if  pos!ibI  • 
o  explore  any  regions  which  might  be  visited,  but  which 
had  not  previously  been  seen  or  described  ;  and  to  obtain 
."  ormation  that  would   be    useful   in   forming  plans  fo 
fuithcr  operations  in  this  direction. 

Two   ships,  the  AA-ri  and    the   Vhco^.^j,  were   fully 

qtnppecl    for   the   purpose   and    were    liberilly  supph  d 

«.th  provisions   and   other   necessities.      Captain    Nare, 

was  appointed  commander.     The  ships  sailed  on  the  .gth 

of  May.     Several  islands   off  the  Greenland  coast  were 


i  , 


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508 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


Visited,  and  a  number  of  dogs  and  two  drivers  were  ob- 
tained. Smith  Sound  was  reached  on  the  29th  of  July, 
and  for  more  than  a  month  the  ships  had  extreme  diffi- 
culty in  passing  through  the  ice  which  almost  constantly 
blocked  their  way. 

The  Discovery  went  into  winter  quarters  at  the  shore 
of  Lady  Franklin  Inlet,  in  latitude  81°  44'.     The  Alert 
pressed  on,  through  a  channel  of  open  water  which  ap- 
peared between  the  ice  and  the  shore,  passed  the  point 
which    the  Polaris  party   had    named  Cape    Union,  and 
entered  what  appeared  to  be  an  open  Polar  Sea.     On  the 
I  St  of  September  a  position  was  gained  nearer  the  Pole 
than  any  ship  had  previously  reached,  and  the  white  flag 
^yas  hoisted  in  celebration  of  the  event.     All  the  indica- 
tions were  favorable  for  further  progress ;  but  the  channel 
soon  ended,  the  wind  changed,  and  the  ship  was  carried 
near  the  shore.     A  comparatively  safe  place  was  reached, 
and  on  the  3d  of  September  the  ship  was  frozen  in.     The 
latitude  was  82°  27'.     In  this  until  then  wholly  unknown 
region  the  party  were  obliged  to  spend  the  winter. 

During  the  autumn  depots  of  provisions  were  estab- 
lished   for   the    use   of    sledging   paru.s   in    the   spring. 
Winter  brought  the  darkness  and  dreariness  which  are 
among  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  Arctic  regions  at 
this  season  of  the  year.     In  March  the  cold  was  intense. 
On  the  3d  of  that  month  the  thermometers  registered  'j'^ 
below  zero,  but  the  following  day  brought  some  compen- 
sation  in  the  fact  that  for  a  short  time  the  sun  was  visible 
above  the  hills.     But  the  cold,  terrible  as  it  was,  proved 
less  trying  than  did  the  sudden  and  violent  changes  in 
temperature,  which  sometimes  amounted  to  sixty  degrees 
within  a  few  hours.     As  they  were  farther  north   than 


HEROIC  ENDEA  ^'ORS  '  509 

bears,  birds,  or  seals  are  found,  fresh  meat  could  not  be 
obtained.  One  of  the  results  of  this  deprivation  was  the 
prevalence  of  the  scurvy,  from  attacks  of  which  several 
members  of  the  party  died. 

As  early  in  the  spring  as  it  was  practicable,  sledging 
parties  were  sent  out  from  each  of  the  ships.     One  oi 
these,  led  by  Commander  Markham  and  Lieutenant  Parr, 
moved  due  north,  with  instructions  to  go  as  far  as  pos- 
sible in  that  direction  and  in  hope  of  reaching  the  Pole ; 
another,   under  Lieutenant  Aldrich,  was   to  pass  to   the 
west,  making  explorations  along  the  American  coast;  and 
a  third,  led  by  Lieutenant  Beaumont,  of  the  Discovery, 
was  to  move  eastward  along  the  northern  coast  of  Green- 
land.    These   expeditions    led   to   many  interesting   dis- 
coveries, some  of  which  were  of  great  value  to  scie!itists. 
One  of  these  was  the  finding  of  the  remains  of  a  great 
evergreen   forest  in   latitude  82^   44',  a   discovery  which 
proves  that  vast  climatic  changes  have  occurred  in  this 
now  desolate  and  barren  region. 

Commander  Markham  and  Lieutenant  Parr  reached  a 
latitude  of  83°  20'  26",  a  point  farther  north  than  any  pre- 
vious explorer  had  reached.     The  enormous  amount  of 
labor  mvolved  in  this  undertaking  may  be  estimated  from 
the  fact  that  although   this  spot  was  only  seventy-three 
miles,    in   a    straight   course,   from    the   ship,   the    party 
travelled   two  hundred  and  seventy-six  miles  going,  and 
two  hundred  and  forty-five  miles  on  the  return  trip.     The 
journey  was  largely  over  ranges  of  ice  hills,  many  of  them 
twenty  feet  in   height,  through   ravines  filled  with  snow, 
over  or  around  vast  i^iles  of  broken  ice,  or  on  floes  where 
it  was  necessary  to  use  picks  or  axes  to  make  a  jxith  over 
which   the  sledge  could  be  drawn.     Add  to  all  this  the 


id 


li 


I 


i 
i 


f 


510 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


suffering  and  the  depression  of  the  vital  forces  caused  by 
the  severe  cold  of  the  inhospitable  region,  and  it  hardly 
seems  possible  that  the  human  frame  could  endure  the 
terrible  hardships  to  which  these  resolute  explorers  were 
subjected. 

Lieutenant  Aldrich  .md  his  party  explored  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  of  coast  line  of  which  no  chart  had 
previously  been  made.  Lieutenant  Beaumont,  with  his 
company,  made  a  survey  of  the  northern  coast  of  Green- 
land for  a  distance  of  some  seventy  miles.  They  all 
endured  severe  suffering.  Several  of  the  men  were  taken 
ill,  and  their  already  overburdened  companions  had  to 
draw  them  on  sledges  for  long  distances,  and  one  of  the 
Beaumont  party  died  on  the  way. 

When  his  men  returned  to  the  Alert,  Captain  Nares 
decided  that  it  was  not  advisable  to  continue  the  work  of 
exploration.  It  was  evident  that  at  the  point  which  lie 
had  reached  the  ice  firmly  and  permanently  closed  navi- 
gation. Further  attempts  of  sledging  parties  to  reach  the 
Pole,  from  the  place  then  occupied,  would  certainb'  result 
in  failure,  would  involve  a  vast  amount  of  suffering,  and 
probably  would  cause  the  loss  of  many  lives.  The  men 
were  already  weakened  by  exposure,  toil,  and  disease.  It 
was  therefore  determined  that  the  expedition  should  not 
remain  there  another  winter. 

It  was  not  till  the  31st  of  July  that  a  passage  through 
the  ice  appeared.  Upon  that  day  the  Alert  commenced 
her  homeward  voyage.  The  ship  was  often  ii.  great  dan- 
ger from  vast  masses  of  floating  ice,  but  it  reached  Lady 
Franklin  Inlet  in  safety  on  the  nth  of  August,  The 
Discovery  was  at  once  put  in  readiness,  but  on  account  of 
the  ice  the  ships  did  not  leave  the  port  until  the  20th  of 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS  ^^ 

the  month.  They  reached  Melville  Bay  on  the  i8th  of 
September,  and  the  Arctic  Circle  was  crossed  on  the  4th 
of  October,  just  fifteen  months  from  the  day  the  ships 
sailed  over  it  when  they  were  outward  bound.  Ice,  and 
storms,  and  adverse  winds  were  encountered,  and  there 
were  some  vexatious  delays ;  but  on  the  2d  of  November 
1876,  the  vessels  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  Portsmouth. 

Although  numerous  and  earnest  efforts  had  been  made 
to  find  records  of  the  Sir  John  Frankhn  expedition,  they 
had,  with  the  single  exception  of  the  paper  discovered  by 
Lieutenant  McClintock,  been  utter  failures.     That  such 
documents  would  be  of  great  value,  both  from  an  histori- 
cal  and  a  scientific  point  of  view,  was  evident.     That  they 
were  in   existence,  seemed   probable  from   the  fact  that 
various  parties  of  Eskimos,  from  whom  articles  which  had 
unquestionably   belonged    to  the    unfortunate    party  had 
been    obtained,   told    of  books   and    papers  which    many 
years    before    white    men    had   placed  in   cairns  in  their 
country.     These   rumors  were   repeated,  not  only  by  ex- 
plorers, but  by  the  masters  of  whaling  ships  which  had 
visited    that    region.      Among   the   parties   who   became 
greatly  interested  in  these  reports  was  Lieutenant  Fred- 
erick  Schvvatka,   of   the    United    States  Army.     Mainly 
through  his  efforts,  an  expedition,  the  expenses  of  which 
were  met  by  private  subscription,  was  organized.     A  ship 
named  the  Eothen  was  obtained  and  fitted  for  service  in 
the   ice,  a  crew  of   twenty-three  men  was  secured,  and 
Schvvatka,  who  had  been  granted  leave  of  absence  from 
the  army,  was  placed  in  command  of  the  exploring  party 
While  the  main  purpose  of  the  expedition  was  to  find  the 
records  of  the  Franklin  party,  there  was  also  the  impor- 
tant secondary  object  of  obtaining  valuable 


information. 


geographical 


■I 


k>' 


hi 


Pf  ii 


S»2 


lARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


On  the  19th  of  June,  1878,  the  ship  sailed  from  New 
York,  and  on  the  7th  of  August  reached  Rowe's  Wel- 
come Strait,  an  arm  of  Hudson  Bay.  They  were  here 
visited  by  friendly  natives.  Winter  was  spent  on  the 
mainland,  near  Depot  Island,  in  latitude  63°  51'.  The 
reports  of  the  natives  in  regard  to  the  prospect  of  finding 
the  records  in  search  of  which  the  party  had  come  were 
not  encouraging.  One  of  the  visitors  said  that,  long  be- 
fore that  time,  his  father  had  found,  in  a  cairn  on  King 
William  Land,  a  box  containing  a  written  paper ;  but  as 
the  latter  appeared  to  be  of  no  use  to  himself  or  his 
people,  it  had  been  thrown  'ay.  But  he  also  told  of 
another  cairn  which  had  not  been  opened,  and  of  a  spoon, 
which  had  been  given  to  Captain  Porter,  which  had  un- 
doubtedly been  used  by  the  Europeans  who  had  perished 
in  that  region.  Mr.  Gilder,  who  was  second  officer  of  the 
expedition,  found  Captain  Porter,  who  was  on  a  whaling 
ship  not  far  distant ;  but  the  information  obtained  from 
him  was  most  disheartening. 

Notwithstanding  the  discouragements  that  had  been 
met,  it  was  determined  to  prosecute  the  search.  Mr. 
Gilder  visited  an  Eskimo  settlement  more  than  seventy 
miles  away,  to  obtain  some  dogs.  Upon  his  return  a 
great  sledge  journey  was  commenced.  The  Schwatka 
party  was  accompanied  by  thirteen  Innuits,  including 
women  and  children.  The  winter  camp  was  left  on  April 
I,  1879.  The  teams  consisted  of  forty-two  dogs,  and  the 
sledges  were  loaded  with  food  supplies  sufficient  to  last 
for  five  or  six  weeks.  They  proceeded  toward  the  north- 
west, through  a  region  that  had  not  been  explored.  For 
some  time  travel  was  very  slow  and  difficult.  On  the 
15th  of  May  a  party  of  natives  was  found,  and  informa- 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 
,.  513 

t>o„  corroborating  many  of  the  points  learned  by  previous 
explorers  was  obtained.  previous 

The  journey  was  continued  to  Back's  River.     Montreal 
Island  was  searched  for  traces  of  the  missing  men  bul 
without  success.     Rich,.rdson    Point  was  crosfed,  al  a 
party  of  nafves  were  met  from  whom  considerable  addi 
tonal    ,nformat,on  was  obtained.     On   the   4th  of  June 
Schwatka  and  Gilder  examined  a  cairn  which  had  ^    n 
bu,lt  by  Captam  Hall  over  the  remains  of  two  men  of    he 
Frankhn  party.     At  a  spot  where  a  party  of  Europeans 
had  encamped  they  found  many  articles  and  also  an  op" 
grave.     A  medal  that  had  been  placed  on  a  stone  at  th's 
grave  md.cated  that  Lieutenant  Irving,  of  the  Tclrt  had 
been    buned    there.     The   skull   a„d^vhat   2";^^, 
could  be  obtaned  were  taken  in  charge,  and  in  due  time 
were  forwarded  to  Irvings  relatives  in  Scotland      O  he 

ierrs."' ''--"" ---•—- 

By  the  3d  of  July  the  northern  part  of  King  William 
Land  was  reached,  and  four  days  later  the  party  toned 
toward   the  south.     Travelling  was  exceedingly  di^f 
Several  ca,rns  were  found  and  various  places  :here  wh    " 
men  had  camped.     At  Erebus  Bay  remains  of  aloa   a  d 
numerous  small  articles  were  discovered.     Parts  o    sev 
eral  skeletons  were  also  found  and  interred.     Eariy  n  Z 
autumn  many  reindeer  were  met  with  and  an  abJn  a 
o    meat  for  .mmed.ate  use  was  obtained,  but  by  the  mid! 
die  o   October  these  animals  had  entirely  disappeared 

.Off  rci:  ^";:';  --i.™^  ---^^  -  ^^^ 

i^ecember.  Food  supplies  were  scanty  anH 
when  an  occasional  reindeer  was  obtained  the  .le!h  1 
poor,  and   ,t   was   frozen   as   well   as   raw  when  eaten. 


n: 


I  ' 


i   .V 


f'( 


5U 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


Wolves  were  exceedingly  troublesome,  and  some  of  the 
party  had  narrow  escapes  from  destruction  by  these  fero- 
cious beasts.  Heavy  snow-storms  were  frequent,  and 
often  prevented  progress  a  week  or  more  at  a  time. 
The  cold  was  terribly  severe,  the  mean  temperature  for 
January  being  53°  below  zero.  During  the  winter  there 
were  sixteen  days  when  the  thermometer  indicated  a 
temperature  of  68°  below  zero,  and  on  one  day  it  marked 
71°  below.  The  men  endured  fearful  suffering,  and  many 
of  the  dogs  perished.  By  almost  superhuman  exertions 
Depot  Island  was  reached  on  the  4th  of  March.  But  here 
a  terrible  disappointment  awaited  the  almost  exhausted 
party.  The  captain  of  the  Eothen  had  not  delivered  the 
provisions  which  he  had  agreed  to  bring  to  that  point. 
The  only  ship  in  the  region  was  at  Marble  Island.  This 
was  reached  after  a  wearisome  march  which  occupied 
seventeen  days. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  longest  and  most 
remarkable  sledge  journey  hitherto  made.  The  distance 
travelled  was  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty-one 
miles,  and  most  of  the  journey  was  in  not  only  a  desolate, 
but  in  an  entirely  unexplored  region.  The  company  were 
out  during  an  entire  winter,  and  one  which,  according 
to  the  testimony  of  the  natives,  was  of  unusual  severity. 
The  hardship  of  the  journey  was  greatly  increased  by 
the  fact  that  during  most  of  the  long  period  which  it 
occupied  the  entire  food  supplies  for  men  and  dogs  were 
obtained  from  the  scanty  resources  of  the  country  which 
they  traversed.  The  principal  results  of  the  expedition 
were  the  interment  of  the  bones  of  the  crews  of  the 
Erebus  and  the  Terror,  the  acquirement  of  much  valuable 
geographical   information,  and  the  establishment  beyond 


i   \ 


I 


ill 


some  of  the 
r  these  fero- 
iquent,    and 

at  a  time, 
perature  for 
vinter  there 

indicated  a 
y  it  marked 
g,  and  many 
in  exertions 
I.  But  here 
t  exhausted 
leHvered  the 

that  point, 
jland.  This 
:h    occupied 

3t  and  most 
"he  distance 
ind  fifty-one 
y  a  desolate, 
mpany  were 
1,  according 
ual  severity, 
ncreased  by 
od  which  it 
d  dogs  were 
luntry  which 
s  expedition 
rews  of  the 
uch  valuable 
lent  beyond 


HEROIC  ENDEA  VORS  5 1 5 

party  had  been  irretnevably  lost.  The  return  voyage 
was  completed  on  the  .,d  of  September,  ,880.  xL 
energy  and  sk.ll  of  Lieutenant  Schwatka  in  the  conduct 
o     he  enterprise  received  full  recognition  at  home  and 


M 


lit  ' 


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ii 


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^{    } 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

GREAT    DISASTERS 

In  the  year  1879  Lieutenant  G.  W.  De  Long,  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  was  placed  in  command  of  an  'Expe- 
dition which  had  for  its  principal  object  the  disco  /of 
the  North  Pole.  This  officer  had  served  as  a  subon  nate 
on  the  Juniata,  in  its  voyage  in  search  of  Captain  Hall, 
and  was  greatly  interested  in  the  subject  of  Arctic  explo- 
ration. At  his  earnest  solicitation  Mr.  James  Gordon 
Bennett,  of  the  "  New  York  Herald,"  purchased  and 
fitted  out  a  ship,  which  was  named  the  Jeannette,  and 
which,  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  the  Arctic  regions, 
was  placed  under  the  control  of  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment. Lieutenant  Chipp  was  appointed  executive 
officer;  Lieutenant  John  W.  Danenhower,  master;  and 
George  W.  Melville,  engineer,  —  all  belonging  to  the 
navy.  Unfortunately,  the  Bering  Strait  route  was  se- 
lected. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1879,  the  Jeannette  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  with  thirty-two  persons  on  board,  '^rogress 
was  slow,  as  the  winds  were  unfavorable  and  the  ship  was 
heavily  loaded.  At  St.  Michael's,  Alaska,  forty  dogs  were 
obtained,  and  some  Indians  were  employed  to  go  with  the 
expedition  as  drivers  and  hunters.  According  to  gov- 
ernment instructions,  search  was  made  for  Professor  Nor- 
denskjbld,  who  was  known  to  have  started  on  a  voyage  of 
exploration  with  a  view  to  obtaining  information  and  also 


\\\    \    \ 


( s       (     '     PI     ' 

\*    1  isnii  t 


ng,  of  the 
f  an  '^xpe- 
scn  7  of 
ibon  iiate 
tain  Hall, 
:tic  explo- 
s  Gordon 
lased  and 
mette,  and 
c  regions, 
tates  Gov- 
executive 
ister ;  and 
ig  to  the 
:e  was  se- 

from  San 
^rogress 
e  ship  was 
dogs  were 
o  with  the 
\g  to  gov- 
essor  Nor- 

voyage  of 
n  and  also 


GREAT  DISASIERS  5,7 

to    render   assistance    if    necessary.     On    the  last  di      of 

August  it  was  learned  that  the  Vega,  N.r.lenskjold's'ship, 

had  passed  the  winter  in  the  bay  which  the  Jeannetie  had 

reached,  and  had  since  spiled  to  the  south. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  proceed  to  Wrangell  Land, 

but  in  less  than  a  week  progress  was  stopped  by  ice.     On 

the  8th  of  September  there 

was  a  desperate  effort  to 

force    a   way    to     He    Id 

Island,    but    only  a    little 

headway    was    made.      A 

few  days  later  a  party  with 

dogs  and  a  sled  proceeded 

to  the  island,   in  hope  of 

finding  a  harbor,  and  also 

of  securing  some  drift  wood 

for  fuel,  but  it  was  unsuc- 
cessful. 

The  ship  had  been 
heeled  over  some  five  de- 
grees, and  in  this  position 
was  firmly  held  in  the  ice. 

It  drifted,  with  the  floe,  in  various  directions,  sometimes 
out  to  sea  and  at  others  within  sight  of  land.  During  the 
first  half  of  November  large  cracks  appeared  in  the  floe 
and  huge  masses  of  ice  were  thrown  near  the  ship,  which 
was  in  imminent  danger  of  being  crushed.  On  the  24th 
of  the  month  the  ship  got  afloat,  and  in  a  few  days  it 
was  sent  adrift  in  a  gale,  but  was  soon  frozen  in  again. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  Lieutenant  Danenhower 
was  disabled  by  an  affection  of  one  of  his  eyes,  and  for  a 
long  period  was  obliged  to  remain  in  a  darkened  room. 


LUCUT.    G.    W.    DE    LONG,    U.   S.    N. 


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EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


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The  ship  was  in  constant  peril  from  the  ice,  and  on  the 
19th  of  January  the  fore-foot  was  broken,  and  it  com- 
menced to  leak  badly.  The  deck  pumps  were  piu  into 
immediate  use,  and  as  soon  as  was  possible  the  steam 
pump  was  started.  Attempts  to  fill  the  cracks  somewhat 
diminished,  but  did  not  nearly  stop,  the  inflow  of  water. 

Early  in  June  De  Long  had  strong  hopes  that  the 
voyage  could  soon  be  resumed,  but  the  ship  did  not  get 
free  of  the  ice,  and  of  course  continued  to  drift.  Fogs 
and  storms  were  frequent,  and  there  was  constant  danger. 
It  was  not  till  the  ist  of  September  that  a  shift  occurred 
which  brought  the  ship  on  an  even  keel.  It  was  still 
fast  in  the  ice.  and  efforts  to  release  it  resulted  in  in- 
creasing the  already  dangerous  leak.  It  soon  became  evi- 
dent that  the  ship  would  not  get  clear  until  after  another 
win        at    least.      It  had   drifted  over  an  immense  area, 

•e  :mes  in  straight  lines  but  often  in  circles,  —  and  it 
sp  ,u  destined  to  continue  this  erratic  course  indefi- 
nitely. 

On  the  1 6th  of  May,  1881,  land  was  seen,  the  first  for 
fourteen  months.  This  was  an  island,  and  the  ship  drifted 
past  it  on  the  following  day.  It  was  named,  in  honor  of 
the  ship,  Jeannette  Island.  On  the  24th  of  the  month  an- 
other island  was  sighted.  This  was  visited  early  in  June 
by  Engineer  Melville  and  several  other  members  of  the 
party.  It  was  named  Henrietta  Island,  and  was  formally 
taken  possession  of  in  the  name  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June  the  floe  split  in  pieces  and  the 
ship  was  set  free,  but  floating  masses  of  ice  pressed  uj-ion 
it  and  its  bows  were  raised  in  the  air.  De  Long  gave 
orders  to  remove  the  chronometers,  rifles,  and  other  indis- 
pensable articles  to  the  ice  and  })repare  to  leave  the  ship. 


« 


GREAT  DISASTERS  519 

At  about  eleven  o'clock  that  night  the  boats  were  lowered 
and  the  men  formed  a  camp  on  one  of  the  portions  of 
the  broken  floe.  At  four  o'clock  on  the  mornino-  of  fune 
13,  1 88 1,  the  masses  of  ice  which  had  held  it  fast  sepa- 
rated, and  the  ^  hip  went  down. 

Several  of  the  ship's  company  were  ill,  and  the  surgeon 
advised  a  brief  period  of  rest.  On  the  17th  of  June,  at 
6  p.  M.,  the  retreat  toward  the  south  commenced.  The 
company  travelled  at  night,  in  order  to  escape  the  blinding 
glare  of  the  sun  upon  the  snow.  They  had  three  boats, 
nine  sleds,  a  large  quantity  of  pemmican,  and  a  fair  supply 
of  ammunition.  The  men  were  harnessed  to  the  sleds. 
On  account  of  the  large  quantity  of  material,  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  go  over  the  same  ground  several  times.  The 
snow  was  deep  and  the  toil  was  exhausting.  After  a 
week  of  this  wearying  labor,  observations  by  the  officer 
showed  that  not  only  had  no  progress  been  made,  but  that 
the  drift  to  the  northwest  had  been  twenty-seven  miles 
farther  than  their  advance  to  the  south.  Toward  the 
close  of  the  month  the  conditions  improved,  and  some 
progress  was  made  in  the  direction  in  which  they  desired 
to  go. 

On  the  nth  of  July  Bennett  Island  was  discovered. 
On  the  28th  of  the  month  a  landing  was  effected,  a  flag 
was  unfurled,  and  the  party  took  possession  in  behalf  of 
the  United  States.  Here  they  camped  for  several  days. 
On  the  6th  of  August  the  party  took  to  the  boats.  Of 
these  the  larger  cutrer  was  commanded  by  De  Long,  the 
smaller  cutter  by  Lieutenant  Chip|),  and  the  whale-boat 
by  Engineer  Melville,  On  the  nth  of  September  the 
men  landed  on  an  island  off  the  Asiatic  coast,  and  a 
hunting  jjarty  was  sen^    out.      The  next    morning  ,they 


ft 


ri 


520 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


left  the  camp  and  proceeded  on  their  course  toward  the 
southwest.  For  several  hours  the  boats  kept  near  to- 
gether ;  but  a  gale  came  up  in  the  afternoon,  and  early  in 


\h 


From  Melville's  "  In  the  Lena  Delta."     l!y  the  permission  of  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co, 

the  evening  they  were  separated,  never  to  be  brought  near 
each  other  again. 

The  whale-boat  was  brought  into  one  of  die  mouths  of 
the  Lena  River.  The  men  were  almost  exhausted,  but 
by  the  help  of  a  native  pilot  they  worked  up  the  river  to  a 
village,  where  they  waited  for  the  ice  to  form  so  thcv  could 
proceed  with  sleds.  A  Russian  exile  went  to  Hulun  to 
notify  the  authorities.     Lieutenant    Danenhower  made  a 


GREA  T  DISASTERS  ^  ^  r 

search  with  a  dog  team  for  the  other  boats,  but  no  trace 
of  them  was  found. 

On  the  29th  of  October  word  was  received  that  a  party 
of  natives  had  met  two  sailors  of  the  De  Long  boat  and 
were  taking  them  to  Bulun.     The  sailors  had  sent  a  note 
to  the  eifect  that  De  Long  and  the  remainder  of  his  party 
were    in  a  starving  condition.     With    one    native  and  a 
team  of  dogs  Engineer  Melville  went  at  once  to  learn  the 
location   of    De  Long  and  give  him  relief.      Lieutenant 
Danenhower  took  charge  of  the  remainder  of  the  party 
and  went  to  Bulun.     He  then  followed  Mewille  to  aid  in 
the  search  for  the  missing  men.     At  Yakutsk  a  dispatch 
from  the  Secretary  of  the   Navy  was  received.     This  di- 
rected that  the  invalid  and  frozen  members   of  the  party 
be  removed  to  a  warmer  locality.     Danenhower  and  his 
party  went  to   Irkoutsk.     From  this  point  the  lieutenant 
telegraphed   for  permission   to   renew  the  search,  but  on 
account  of  the  condition  of  his  health  the  request  was  not 
granted.       He  therefore  returnc^d    home,   reaching    New 
York,  with   three  of  his  men,  on  the  ist   of  June  "^  With 
the  exception  of  an  Indian,  who  had  died  of  the  smallpox 
in   Russia,  the  remainder  of  the  whale-boat  crew  and   the 
two  men  whom  De  Long  had  sent  forward  for  relief  were 
all  m  the  United  States  early  in  1882.     One  of  the  mem- 
bers,  however,  had  become  insane  and  was  placed    in  a 
government  institution  for  that  unfortunate  class. 

The  history  of  the  De  Long  party  and  their  terrible 
fate  was  fully  learned  from  the  journal  in  which  the 
leader  made  frequent  entries  up  to  almost  the  hour  of  his 
death,  and  from  the  testimony  of  the  two  men  who  were 
saved.  On  the  fifth  day  after  the  separation,  their  boat 
was  driven  upon  the  ground.     Most  of  its  contents  were 


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522 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


taken  on  shore,  and  preparations  were  made  to  walk  to 
what  was  supposed  to  be  the  nearest  settlement,  about 
ninety-five  miles  away.  7he  journey  was  commenced 
September  19.  The  walking  was  extremely  hard,  the 
loads  were  heavy,  and  the  men  were  feeble  from  their 
exposure  and  sufferings  in  the  boat.  An  occasional  rein- 
deer was  killed,  which  eked  out  their  scanty  supplies  of 
provisions.  On  the  3d  of  October  there  was  nothing  to 
eat,  and  the  last  dog  was  killed  for  food.  A  tew  days 
later,  one  of  the  men,  who  had  been  badly  frost-bitten  and 
very  ill  for  some  time,  died.  As  the  party  had  nothing 
with  which  to  dig  a  grave,  the  body  was  buried  in  the 
river.  On  the  9th  the  two  men  who  finally  reached 
home  were  sent  in  advance,  to  obtain  relief  if  possible. 
On  the  loth  the  De  Long  party  had  nothing  to  eat  but 
deer-skin  scraps.  On  the  1 7th  one  of  the  men  died,  and 
at  midnight  of  the  21st  another  was  found  dead.  Part  of 
divine  service  was  read  on  Sunday  the  23d.  Upon  some 
days  no  entry  was  made.  Upon  others  the  death  of  one 
or  more  members  of  the  part)-  was  recorded.  The  last 
entry  was  dated  Sunday,  October  30.  It  states  that  two 
men  had  died  during  the  night  and  that  another  was 
dying.  This  left  De  Long,  the  surgeon,  and  one  sailor, 
all  of  whom  must  have  died  soon  after  the  record  last 
named  was  made. 

The  two  seamen  sent  on  by  De  Long  endured  the 
most  terrible  sufferings  before  they  were  rescued  by  some 
friendly  natives.  Life  was  sustained  by  eating  their  boot 
soles,  burned  bones,  and  pieces  of  their  seal-skin  clothes, 
in  addition  to  a  bird  and  an  occasional  fish.  The  natives 
took  them  to  Bulun.  A  telegram  was  sent  to  Engineer 
Melville,  who   reached   there   on   the    3d   of    November. 


w 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


523 


After  learning  the  direction  in  which  De  Long  had  pro- 
ceeded, he  started  for  the  Lena  Delta.  He  obtained  rec- 
ords from  native  hunters  which  enabled  him  to  find  the 
log-books  and  other  articles  which  had  been  left  on  the 
shore.  A  long  search,  entailing  great  suffering,  proved 
unavailing.  As  it  was  certain  that  the  missing  party  had 
perished,  and  that  nothing  more  could  be  done  until  a 
more  favorable  season  opened  and  further  supplies  were 
obtained,  Melville  proceeded  to  Yakutsk. 

Early  in  spring  the  search  was  resumed,  and  on  the  23d 
of  March,  1882,  the  last  camp  of  the  party  was  found  and 
the  bodies  of  ten  of  the  men  who  had  died  at  that  point. 
One  of  the  men,  as  De  Long's  journal  stated,  had  died 
in  a  boat,  and  the  body  had  probably  been  swept  into  the 
river  near  which  the  camp  was  formed.  A  tomb  was 
erected  on  a  bluff,  and  the  bodies,  in  a  box  which  had 
been  made  for  the  purpose,  were  placed  therein.  A 
cross,  twenty-two  feet  high,  was  erected.  Upon  this  cross 
was  the  following  inscription :  "  In  Memory  of  1 2  of  The 
Officers  And  Men  of  The  Arctic  Steamer  Jeannettc,  who 
Died  of  Starvation  In  The  Lena  Delta,  October,  188 1." 
This  was  followed  by  the  names  of  the  men  who  met  this 
terrible  fate.  Afterward  caskets  were  sent  to  Siberia,  and 
the  bodies  were  brought  to  the  United  States. 

After  the  separation  of  the  boats  in  the  gale  of  the  12th 
of  September,  Lieutenant  Chipp  and  his  party  were  never 
seen.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  frail  craft,  with  all 
on  board,  was  engulfed  in  the  sea. 

As  whaling  vessels  returning  from  the  North  Pacific  in 
1879  brought  no  news  of  the  Jeannette,  and  two  ships  of 
the  whaling  fleet  which  had  been  near  where  the  explor- 
ing vessel  was  to  go  did  not  come  back,  the  government 


524 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


w: 


sent  out  the  steamer  Corwin  to  look  after  the  seal  fish- 
eries in  Alaskan  waters  and  also  to  search  for  the  missing 
vessels.  The  Corwin  sailed  from  San  Francisco  in  May, 
1880,  and  returned  the  following  October.  No  trace  of 
the  vessels  was  found.  In  1881  the  government  sent  out 
three  ships  on  the  same  errand.  One  of  these  was  the 
Corwin,  which  sailed  from  San  Francisco  on  the  4th  of 
May  and  again  returned  in  October.  Evidence  was  ob- 
tained that  the  two  whaling  ships  had  been  wrecked  and 
their  crews  had  perished. 

On  the  1 6th  of  June  the  Rodgers  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  for  Bering  Strait.  While  in  St.  Lawrence 
Bay,  late  in  November,  the  ship  was  burned.  The  offi- 
cers and  crew  were  relieved  by  a  whaling  vessel.  The 
steamer  Alliance  was  sent  to  search  between  Greenland 
and  Iceland,  and  along  the  coast  of  Norway  and  Sj^itzber- 
gen.  She  left  Hampton  Roads  on  the  i6th  of  June  and 
reached  New  York,  on  the  return  trip,  on  the  nth  of 
November.  Although  none  oi  these  expeditions  found 
traces  of  the  yea7inette,  a  great  amount  of  geographical 
and  scientific  knowled"e  was  obtained. 

In  carrying  out  its  part  in  an  international  plan  for  tak- 
ing observations  in  the  Arctic  regions,  the  United  States 
established,  in  1S81,  two  stations.  One  of  these  was 
located  at  Ooglaamic,  near  Point  Barrow,  in  Alaska. 
The  expedition  was  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Ray,  of  the 
army,  who  sailed  from  San  Francisco  on  the  18th  of 
July,  and  reached  his  destination  early  in  September. 
This  party  was  recalled  by  an  act  of  Congress,  and 
reached  San  Francisco  on  the  2d  of  October,  1883. 

The  other  expedition  had  a  terrible  experience.  It 
was   sent  to  establish  a  station  near  Lady  Franklin    Bay. 


Ill 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


525 


The  objects  in  view  were  the  making  of  explorations, 
the  collection  of  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral  specimens, 
and  the  taking  of  meteorological,  magnetic,  and  other 
observations  in  accordance  with  the  plan  adopted  bv 
the  International  Conference,  to  which  the  establishment 
of  this  station  and  the  one  in  Alaska  was  due. 

Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely,  of  the  army,  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  party,  which  consisted  of  twenty-three  men. 
Two  Eskimos  joined  it  at  Upernavik.  Very  minute  di- 
rections as  to  the  work  to  be  done,  and  the  course  to  be 
pursued,  were  given  by  the  government.  A  ship  was  to 
be  sent  each  year  with  supplies,  and  depots  of  provisions 
were  to  be  established  at  specified  points.  If  the  ships 
did  not  reach  the  station,  Greely  was  to  commence  a 
retreat  not  later  than  September  i,  1883. 

On  the  7th  of  July,  1881,  the  party  sailed  from  St. 
John's,  Newfoundland,  in  the  Proteus,  a  steamer  which 
had  been  chartered  for  the  purpose.  At  various  points 
stops  were  made  to  procure  dogs,  obtain  additional  sup- 
plies, establish  depots  of  provisions,  and  complete  prepa- 
rations  for  a  long  sojourn  in  a  desolate  land. 

Littleton  Island  was  reached  on  the  2d  of  August. 
Two  days  later,  when  only  eight  miles  from  the  place  of 
destination,  progress  was  checked  by  ice.  During  the 
next  few  days  the  ship  was  driven  back  forty-five  miles. 
On  the  loth  the  wind  changed,  and  the  next  day  the  ship 
crossed  Lady  Franklin  Bay.  It  was  decided  to  locate 
where  the  English  vessel,  the  Discovery,  of  the  1875  expe- 
dition, had  wintered.  With  great  difiiculty  a  passage  was 
forced  through  the  ice  which  had  formed  in  the  harbor. 
At  a  point  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  shore  the 
ship  anchored,   and    the  work   of    unloading   was   com- 


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526 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


menced.  A  house  was  constructed,  and  the  station  was 
named  Fort  Conger.  After  a  delay  of  several  days,  occa- 
sioned by  ice  at  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  the  steamer 
started  on  her  return  voyage,  which  was  made  in  safety. 
Two  of  the  party,  who  did  not  appear  able  to  endure  the 
hardships  of  the  service,  returned  in  the  ship. 

In  accordance  with  the  arrangement  made  when  Greely 
was  sent  out,  a  vessel  was  despatched  with  supplies  in 
1882.  This  was  the  Neptune,  which  sailed  from  St. 
John's  on  the  8th  of  July,  with  William  M.  Beebe,  a  pri- 
vate in  the  general  service,  in  charge.  On  account  of  ice 
and  storms  the  station  was  not  reached.  Provisions  were 
stored  at  various  points  and  the  ship  returned. 

In  1883  the  government  sent  out  two  ships,  the  Pro- 
teus and  the  Yantic,  with  supplies  for  Greely  and  his 
party.  This  expedition  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Garlington,  of  the  army.  The  Proteus,  in  which  Gar- 
lington  sailed,  was  a  strong  vessel  well  fitted  for  service  in 
the  ice.  The  Yantic,  with  Commander  Wildes  in  charge, 
was  a  much  smaller,  weaker,  and  slower  craft. 

The  expedition  left  St.  John's  on  the  29th  of  June. 
Godhavn  was  reached  in  safety.  The  Yantic  was  obliged 
to  stay  a  few  days  for  necessary  repairs,  and  was  then  to 
go  to  Waigat  Strait  for  coal.  As  soon  as  the  weather 
permitted,  the  Proteus  resumed  the  voyage,  but  soon 
encountered  ice,  was  compelled  to  head  toward  the 
south,  and  was  repeatedly  turned  from  a  direct  course. 
At  length  Cape  Sabine  was  reached,  and  the  ship  was 
anchored  in  Payer  Harbor.  Here  the  party  remained 
four  and  a  half  hours.  Whether  the  instructions  were  too 
indefinite,  were  misunderstood,  or  the  commander  of  the 
expedition  did  not  realize  the  vast  importance  of  Ic.iving 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


5*7 


a  full  supply  of  provisions  at  this  point,  which  Greely  and 
his  men  were  almost  sure  to  visit  two  months  later  if  the 
ship  failed  to  reach  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  cannot  be  told, 
but  the  opportunity  for  leaving  supplies  was  not  improved. 
Two  small  depots  of  provisions  which  had  been  formed  by 
preceding  parties  were  visited,  and  one  of  them  was  re- 
paired. Various  magnetic  and  other  observations  were 
taken,  and  the  work  of  the  expedition  at  this  point  was 
closed. 

As  the  ice-pack  appeared  to  have  broken,  the  voyage 
was  resumed  in  the  evening.  After  proceeding  about 
twenty  miles,  ice  was  again  encountered.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  23d  of  July  the  situation  was  so  perilous  that 
an  effort  was  made  to  return  to  the  south;  but  in  the 
afternoon  the  ship  was  hemmed  in,  and  before  nightfall  it 
was  crushed  by  enormous  masses  of  ice.  Early  in  the 
evening  a  change  in  the  tide  caused  a  movement  of  the 
ice  which  relieved  the  pressure,  and  the  ship  at  once 
went  down. 

When  it  became  evident  that  the  ship  would  be 
wrecked,  the  boats  and  a  quantity  of  provisions  were 
taken  out.  After  the  Proteus  went  down  the  crew  took 
three  of  the  boats  and  the  relief  party  the  other  two.  A 
small  quantity  of  provisions  and  a  few  other  stores  were 
landed  near  Cape  Sabine.  One  party,  under  Lieutenant 
Colwell,  who  had  accompanied  the  expedition  as  a  volun- 
teer, and  had  taken  charge  of  the  meteorological  work, 
but  who  was  not  in  authority,  sailed  across  Melville  Bay 
in  hope  of  finding  the  Yantic.  After  being  in  their  boat 
thirty-eight  days,  exposed  to  cold,  encountering  ice  and 
tremendous  gales,  and  covering  a  distance  of  eight  hun- 
dred miles,  the  weary  party  arrived  at  Disco,  where,  to 


528 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


1^' 


U\  h.^ 


,*  i 


\    , 


their  inexpressible  relief,  they  found  the  ship.  Garlington 
anvd  his  party,  including  the  crew  of  the  Proteus,  had  kept 
along  the  shore  and  reached  Upernavik  on  the  24th  of 
August,  only  two  days  after  the  Yantic  had  left  that  port 
for  fear  of  being  frozen  in.  Immediately  upon  the  arrival 
of  Lieutenant  Colwell,  the  Yantic  returned  to  Upernavik, 
took  Garlington  and  his  men  on  board,  and  sailed  for 
St.  John's,  where  it  arrived  on  the  13th  of  September. 

The  season  was  so  far  advanced  that  it  would  be  worse 
than  useless  to  make  further  attempts  to  relieve  Greely 
that  year,  but  the  government  soon  commenced  prepara- 
tions for  sending  an  expedition  at  the  earliest  moment  it 
would  be  possible  to  enter  the  Arctic  Sea.  Two  ships, 
the  Thetis  and  the  Bear,  were  purchased  ;  and  the  Alert, 
which  had  been  used  by  Captain  Nares  in  the  expedition 
of  1875,  was  donated  for  the  purpose  by  the  British  Gov- 
ernment. A  steamer,  the  Loch  Garry,  was  chartered  at 
St.  John's  to  carry  a  supply  of  coal  to  Littleton  Island. 

Commander  W.  S.  Schley,  of  the  navy,  was  placed  in 
charge  of  this  expedition.  The  ships  were  fully  equipped, 
and  ofificers  weie  chosen  and  crews  selected  with  ereat 
care.  Provisions  were  taken  for  two  years.  To  induce 
owners  of  whaling  vessels  to  interest  themselves  in  the 
case,  Congress  offered  a  reward  of  $25,000  for  the  rescue 
of  the  Greely  expedition  or  conclusive  information  regard- 
ing its  fate. 

On  the  24th  of  April,  1884,  the  i9^«r  sailed  from  New 
York.  On  May  i  the  Thetis  left  the  same  port,  and  the 
Alert  followed  on  May  10.  The  advance  ships,  the 
Thetis  and  the  Bear,  had  much  trouble  with  ice  in  Mel- 
ville Bay,  but  succeeded  in  reaching  Littleton  Island  — 
the  Thetis  on  the  21st,  and  the  Bear  on  the  2 2d  of  June. 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


529 


Finding  that  Greely  had  not  reached  the  island,  the 
ships  at  once  proceeded  toward  Cape  Sabine.  Late  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  2 2d  they  were  stopped  by  ice. 
Several  parties  were  sent  ashore,  one  of  which  soon  dis- 
covered records  of  the  missing  explorers.  The  latest  of 
these  was  dated  October  21,  1883,  and  stated  that  full 
rations  for  only  forty  days  remained.  There  seemed  to 
be  hardly  a  possibility  that  any  of  the  party  could  have 
survived.  Lieutenant  Colwell,  with  a  few  others,  pushed 
forward  in  a  cutter,  followed  as  soon  as  possible  by  the 
ships,  to  the  site  of  the  Greely  camp,  as  stated  in  the 
papers  that  had  been  found.  This  was  about  five  miles 
west  of  Cape  Sabine.  Fortunately,  the  wind  had  driven 
the  ice  from  the  shore,  thus  giving  a  free  course. 

About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  Colwell  and  his 
party  reached  the  camp.  Here  Greely  and  six  of  his 
men  were  found.  The  others  had  perished.  All  the  sur- 
vivors were  feeble;  and  several,  including  Greely,  were 
almost  at  the  point  of  death.  They  were  given  restora- 
tives and  a  little  food,  and,  when  somewhat  revived,  were 
taken  aboard  the  ships.  The  bodies  of  thirteen  of  the 
dead  were  recovered.  Of  these,  one,  an  Eskimo,  was 
buried  at  Disco.  The  other  twelve  were  taken  to  the 
United  States.  Five  bodies  that  had  been  buried  at  the 
camp  had  been  swept  into  the  sea.  Besides  the  seventeen 
men  who  had  died  of  starvation,  one  had  been  drowned 
while  endeavoring  to  procure  food,  and  one  who  was 
rescued  had  been  so  badly  frost-bitten,  and  was  so 
reduced  by  exposure  and  want  of  food,  that  he  died  on 
the  homeward  journey. 

Greely  and  his  men  abandoned  Fort  Conger  August 
9,  1883,  were  adrift  on  ice  for  thirty  days,  and  were  com- 
34 


II  >r 


I  Pi 


fif  L   . 


'II ' 


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( '■ 


53° 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


pelled  to  abandon  their  boats  before  they  reached  the 
spot  where  the  final  camp  was  made,  and  where  they 
remained  from  October  21,  1883,  until  June  22,  1884. 
During  the  winter  gales  were  numerous,  and  great  quan- 
tities of  ice  were  driven  through  the  channel,  thus  pre- 
venting its  freezing  over  and  thereby  cutting  off  the  party 
from  the  supplies  of  food  which  were  stored  on  Littleton 
Island. 

The  Thetis,  Bear,  and  Loch  Garry  reached  St.  John's 
on  July  17,  1884,  and  the  Alert  arrived  on  the  following 
day.  About  a  week  later  the  three  vessels  which  be- 
longed to  the  government  sailed  for  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire,  where  they  arrived  on  the  ist  of  August 
Here  the  party  was  received  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  and  other  prominent  officials,  and  a  public  recep- 
tion was  given.  On  the  8th  of  August  the  ships  reached 
New  York.  Officers  of  the  army  and  navy  were  pres- 
ent, and  the  relief  expedition  was  received  with  imposing 
ceremonies. 

While  the  station  was  maintained  at  Fort  Conirer  much 
was  done  in  the  way  of  exploration,  and  some  valuable 
discoveries  were  made.  A  party  under  Lieutenant 
Lockwood  reached  latitude  ^-^  24',  a  point  farther  north 
than  had  been  gained  by  civilized  man,  and  which  was 
not  again  attained  until  the  intrepid  Nansen  made  his 
splendid  effort  to  reach  the  Pole. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  many  of  the  principal 
expeditions  to  the  Arctic  regions,  from  the  time  of  the 
early  sea  rovers,  who  were  animated  by  the  spirit  of 
adventure  as  well  as  by  curiosity,  down  to  the  return  of 
the  survivors  of  the  Greely  party,  which  went  out  in  the 
interests  of  science  and  diooovery.    The  daring  deeds  and 


GREAT  DISASTERS 

described  m  the  earlier  part  of  this  volume 

The  history  o£  these  Arctic  explorations  is  a  record  of 
m  gnificent  courage,  unswerving  devotion,  and  splendid 
a  hievement.     The  world  does  well  to  honor  the  hero  s 
who  have  done  so  much  to  extend  its  commerce    nd  2 
.t  a  knowledge  of  the  character  and  condition  of  v  s 
egions.    which,    but   for    their   efforts,    would    hav 
remained  unknown. 


